Exile on Main Street
by suzbc
Summary: This is planed to be a multi chapter story with Angel bonds, wing!kink, oil!kink. It's primarily a Destiel with some Sabriel thrown in for good measure. This story is AU as of the ending on Swan Song giving Dean's Exile on Main Street a different spin. Some season six thrown in for good measure.
1. Exile on Main Street

This is planed to be a multi chapter story with Angel bonds, wing!kink, oil!kink. It's primarily a Destiel with some Sabriel thrown in for good measure. This story is AU as of the ending on Swan Song giving Dean's Exile on Main Street a different spin.

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><p>"Hello Dean." Castiel greets Dean; who still sat on the ground leaning against the Impala; in shock from witnessing his baby brother throw himself into Lucifer's Cage - dragging their half brother along with him. After several silent minutes Castiel continues, "I must return to Heaven. It will be in chaos now with Michael gone." He sombrely tells Dean only moments after healing his injuries and resurrecting Bobby. Castiel stands alone fidgeting; a human habit that as a new minted Archangel of the lord he feels he must break. He waits for a response, which after a few moments he isn't sure why he thought to hope he might receive.<p>

Dean is too shocked to reply even if the thought of losing Castiel, as well as Sam, lances through his heart, which explodes as if he had been run through with an Angel blade. His heart feels as if it has shattered into a million pieces, which fly about lodging in inconvenient places, all the while completely pulverizing the last bit of hope he didn't realize he was clinging to. Unable to speak just yet he remains silent staring off into the distance, as Castiel spreads his new and improved Archangel wings and with a soft fluttering disappears from Dean's sight.

After a few minutes Dean allows a long deep sigh to escape before struggling upright. Dean glances around Stull Cemetery; taking in his surroundings like his father drilled into him from a very young age. Bobby has meanwhile regained his bearings as well. The two hunters nod stiffly to one another before heading to their respective vehicles alone. Bobby knows Dean well and doesn't expect him to deal with Sam's death well. Nor does he expect him to allow anyone to help him through the grief. "Idjit." Bobby mutters under his breath as he puts the truck into gear and heads back to his salvage yard.

Dean turns the Impala's engine over and as soon as he hits the highway he makes a beeline for the town that Lisa and Ben are currently living in. He promised Sam that he would try for a real life after all, and Dean Winchester keeps his promises. Dean drives for two days stopping only when he or the Impala absolutely have to. He seldom looks in the rear view, forcing his eyes forward and his mind on his destination, resolutely not on where he has come from. The end of his journey being a small town in the middle of the USA; a small town just like any other small town; it's one main drag bears the name: Main Street. And so finally the mint condition black 1967 Chevy Impala rumbles to a stop, outside a cookie cutter house smack dab in the middle of a picturesque tree lined street. The House in question's white picket fence unnecessarily separating it's yard from its neighbours similarly white picket-fenced yards.

It takes Dean more than a few minutes to get out of the vehicle. His mind started screaming at him the minute he put his baby into park. Unseen by Dean, or anyone else on earth - two beings - both recently resurrected Archangels of the Lord, watch Dean war with himself from a safe distance; not wanting to alert the hunter to their presence. Since of course Castiel didn't fly away immediately to Heaven when he disappeared from Dean's sight. His brother Gabriel's presence nearby distracted him, and instead flew to his side.

Gabriel was resurrected in the same moment Castiel was reformed and promoted to an Archangel. He immediately found himself completely overwhelmed by the sight of Sam jumping into the Cage with his brothers. There he remained kneeling over the undisturbed grass, which was once the entrance to the Cage, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Gabriel finally drug his eyes away from the ground and looked into Castiel's eyes: questioning, pleading, just short of begging. Castiel simply nodded his head, and looked away towards Dean once again, leaving Gabriel to his private grief.

Back in Anytown, USA outside the home of Lisa Braeden and her son Ben.

"Tell me again why you told him that you had to return to Heaven, little bro?" Gabriel asked, as he snapped a lollipop into existence and popped it into his mouth.

"It is not of import. Brother." Castiel replied tersely his eyes never leaving Dean. Castiel didn't understand the feelings coursing through his vessel, as they watched Dean from a distance. The second Dean stepped out of the Impala Castiel's chest constricted painfully, and as he watched Dean walk up the path to the door and ring the bell he unconsciously held his breath.

Dean too was holding his breath as he waited on the stoop; the scene screamed déjà vu, and he almost bolted, when the door was suddenly opened and Lisa's friendly face appeared. She smiled and held the door open for Dean to enter and after a moments hesitation he did; releasing his breath in relief. At that same moment Castiel took flight - leaving Gabriel and Dean, especially Dean. He wasn't able to remain any longer lest he do something he might regret; like smite Lisa Braeden where she stood.

Gabriel let Castiel go; understanding what he was going through better than most. He knew from experience just how hard loving someone from afar was, having to watch as they lived their lives without you in it. Although he had no plans to leave him to his wallowing for long. Gabriel needed Castiel's knowledge of Hell, if he was going to save his Sammy. Gabriel snaps his fingers and appears in one of his safe houses knowing that Castiel will need some time to gather himself.

Inside the house Dean tentatively hugged Lisa and greeted her son Ben who barely remembered him, which was just as well since the last time wasn't a very pleasant memory. Meanwhile Castiel flew straight to the top of Everest, where he sometimes retreated to while on Earth; when his job as soldier of Heaven and his duty to Dean as the righteous man conflicted. Castiel knew that he should not be feeling what he did when Dean entered Lisa's home, but he was so new to emotions that he didn't understand why he felt so betrayed and angry with his charge.

Dean spends the first week at the bottom of a bottle splayed out on Lisa's couch. He kept it together as best he could while Ben was in his presence, but his guilt and grief were slowly tearing him apart. Time moves differently for Angels and so it is a month before Castiel seeks out his brother Gabriel; and they begin their quest to resurrect Sam Winchester from Lucifer's Cage. Meanwhile Dean has been bullied by Lisa into taking a menial position as a construction worker in the town she lives in. The Impala languishes in the garage covered in a heavy drop cloth while Dean drives around in a battered pickup truck and sleeps in the guest bedroom. Even if sleep is a relative term since his nightmares have returned with a vengeance now that Castiel is keeping his distance.

Gabriel and Castiel pulled out all the stops to get Sam back and Adam too if they could swing it. They contacted Death, and they even involved Crowley - who had taken up the mantel of King of Hell in Lucifer's absence; even if Meg was, rallying her own forces to oppose him. It took another three months for their plans to come together, and for Gabriel to descend into Hell. Just as before; the Heaven's sung of the battles waged by Gabriel during his quest, which topside lasted three months, but in hell-years felt more like thirty.

In the end Gabriel was able to grip Sam tight and raise him from perdition, just as Castiel had done with Dean years before. Getting Sam's soul away from his brothers was tricky even for the Trickster. Thirty years in Hell had left Gabriel's vessel in tatters and, as his Grace wrapped itself around Sam's torn and damaged soul, together they flew out of the pit bursting topside in a blast of light and power seldom seen on earth. The effects were felt by millions, but of course humans are so conditioned to attributing supernatural goings on to more explainable phenomenon, the event went largely unnoticed by those not in tune with such things.

Unlike Dean there was no body and therefore no grave to crawl out of and so Gabriel cradled Sam's soul within his Grace. And with the power held only by a handful of beings in this universe he rebuilt Sam from atom up. And finally he remade his own vessel, so that he might remain on earth as before. Just as his eyes snapped open, Sam drew in a huge breath of air. The first thing Sam saw was a light so blinding that he was confused and disoriented. As the light dimmed and Gabriel's vessel's form became clear to his human eyes he gasped and reached out with his hand reflexively. He pulled his hand back as soon as he realized what he was doing. "Gabe?" Sam cried out his voice rough from disuse.

"Yeah, it's me kiddo." Gabriel responded with a roguish smirk.

"Is this Heaven?" Sam asked not taking his eyes off of Gabriel for fear that he might disappear from his sight.

"Nope. Sammy, you're back. Good as new too." Gabriel responded, as he snapped a lollipop into existence and popped it into his mouth. The movement forcing him to release one of the hands holding Sam tight, which jarred the hunter into examining his surroundings for the first time. Of course he didn't recognize the room since it was one of Gabriel's safe houses but it felt safe to Sam and so he returned his attention to the Archangel before him.

"I thought you were dead! I thought I was… I was in the Cage… Wait, I remember the Cage…. Whoa!" Sam started saying well rambling really and he became progressively more agitated as he went through his memories trying to make sense of his current situation. "Are you real?" Sam whispered, cringing not wanting to discover that this was in fact another of Lucifer's tortuous tricks. Gabriel drew on the bond formed between them, and he slowly let his Grace seep out into his bonded, cocooning him.

"I am real. And so are you; Sam Winchester." Gabriel assured him moving to physically wrap him in his arms as well. Sam could feel the connection between them and as they embraced he allowed himself to let go and he sobbed into Gabriel's shoulder until he lost consciousness.

Dean had fallen into somewhat of a routine since coming to live with Lisa and Ben, which was out of character for the hunter who hadn't had a real home (besides Bobby's) since he was four. He worked his job and spent the early evenings with Lisa and Ben, retiring to the guest room alone. Whenever he sought out companionship it was in the form of fleeting drunken bathroom or back alley encounters with strangers. While he waited for Gabriel to return to earth with Sam, Castiel attempted to keep his distance but found it nearly impossible. He knew that Dean would never be the same without his brother and so he felt that he couldn't return to his hunter without him. And so invisible and mostly unnoticed Castiel kept watch over Dean.

Dean would frequently get the feeling of being watched and at first he chalked it up to hunters instinct overdrive as he reintegrated into civilian life, but then he noticed a pattern. He noticed the feeling more during certain activities and while in the company of certain individuals. After three months Dean had pretty much figured out who was spying on him, although Dean continued to allow him his anonymity too broken to reach out to him. He did alter his routine slightly though, since some things just didn't feel right knowing who might be watching. This slight behaviour change went unnoticed by Castiel whom as the months worn on kept a closer watch over his hunter than strictly necessary.

Castiel of course was well aware that his brother had returned with Sam Winchester. Although he knew how involved the process of rebuilding a damaged soul was, he was impatient for word, impatient to reunite with his hunter once more. A week after bursting topside with Sam's soul, Gabriel and Sam appeared next to Castiel; arms wrapped around one another big smiles on their faces. When they appeared Castiel was of course near Lisa's home patiently waiting for Dean to return from work. He found that it was unwise to watch over him there, after the first couple of times seemed to result in minor injuries to his charge.

"Little bro." Gabriel greeted genially.

"Castiel! It's good to see you, Man!" Sam cried out and momentarily left Gabriel and embraced his friend before returning to Gabriel's side.

"Good. You're back. Dean should be back from work soon." Castiel said most of his attention elsewhere.

"Where are we anyways?" Sam asked looking around the unfamiliar place questioningly.

"This is where Lisa and Dean live." Castiel admitted, his voice tight and slightly more gravelly then normal. The conversation was cut short by the sound of a truck driving up to the house and the door opening and slamming. Sam and Gabriel hadn't seen Dean in what felt to them like decades; they knew it had only been four months on earth, but they were still shocked by what they saw when he came around the corner.

Sam barely recognized his brother: Dean Winchester bore dark circles under his vacant eyes, his shoulders hunched inward and he held his entire body rigid. Castiel took stock of his hunters physical and emotional being; noting the minute changes since he last beheld his soul. It had been a particularly tiresome day for Dean; one of his co-worker's wives had, had a baby and the whole worksite was celebrating. Dean paused, his hand on the back door, and contemplated staying away for the evening so as to not run into Lisa or Ben while in such a fowl mood.

"Dean…" Sam uttered at the very moment Gabriel swore under his breath, "Fuck!" Before they had more than a moment to adjust Castiel forced them into the visible human realm. The threesome stood, both Archangels flanking Sam Winchester, off to the side of the house. When Dean turned towards them, having noticed the movement out to the corner of this eye, he didn't know which being to focus his attention on first. They all just stood staring at one another across the back yard for several minutes before Dean took a hesitant step in their direction. The movement broke their trance like state and Sam rushed forward towards his brother, embracing him tightly.

"Sammy… Is it really you?" Dean asked his voice muffled by Sam's clothing.

"Yeah… Dean, it's really me." Sam replied pulling away slightly.

"Hey Dean-o! How's apple pie life been treating yah?" Gabriel called out.

"I thought you were dead, Gabe?" Dean shot back, a tentative smile gracing his face for the first time in a very long time.

"It seems that Team Free Will doesn't stay that way for long." Castiel interrupted, eager to interject himself into the reunion.

"So it seems Cas, so it seems." Dean agreed happily while holding prolonged eye contact with Castiel. Their moment was interrupted when Lisa appeared in the doorway, "Dean?" She asked questioningly nodding to the strangers and his supposedly dead brother when Dean turned to face her.

"Sammy you remember Lisa, right?" Dean said nodding between the two, to which they both agreed non-verbally, Lisa still eyeing the other two surreptitiously. "And these two are Castiel and Gabriel; Angel's of the Lord." Dean continued the introductions vaguely gesturing to each Angel in turn as he spoke.

"Oh, well… Pleased to meet you all then…" Lisa said her tone unsure, as her knowledge of the supernatural was still mostly theoretical at this point.

"And you as well, little lady… Any friend of Dean-O's here is a friend of ours! Right, Cas?" Gabriel graciously exclaimed much to Castiel's horror.

"Of course." Castiel uttered tersely. Lisa nodded tightly and considered inviting them inside for just a moment too long.

Dean exuberantly cried out; "the only thing that could make this better would be pie! What do you all say we go and find some?" Both Castiel and Sam rolled their eyes indulgently while Gabriel seemed to wholeheartedly agree to the plan. Lisa however stepped back a little. "Ben will be home soon, so I guess you'll have to go on without me." She stated and Dean just nodded completely oblivious.

"I know just the place," Gabriel said right before he snapped his fingers and they disappeared before her eyes. The foursome reappeared in Pie Town, New Mexico during their September Pie festival.

"Oh my God! I've died and gone to Heaven!" Dean cried out as he twirled around reading all the banners and signs; his excitement overshadowing his usual negative reaction to Air Angel travel. Castiel was again left puzzled by his emotional reaction at seeing Dean so happy. "Oh look, the pie eating contest starts at 1! Do you think we have time to enter?" Dean wondered aloud while he glanced around, strategizing his attack on the pie fair before him.

"I'm sure we can make time for that Dean." Castiel assured his charge as they started to walk side by side towards the booth holding the event. Gabriel and Sam trailed behind them and Dean couldn't help but notice that they were whispering back and forth, as they walked through the crowds. They arrived just in time to enter the contest and both Dean and Gabriel entered, leaving Castiel and Sam to watch from the sidelines. Both put forth a valiant showing, Gabriel slightly handicapped by human physics of course, they both lost to an unassuming young woman, named Jolene who might have weighed 100 pounds soaking wet.

Following the contest Dean and Gabriel were met by their own personal cheering section and congratulated like conquering heroes. Dean's jaw hit the floor when Sam laid a sloppy kiss on Gabriel, right in front of God and everyone. He started to splutter unattractively his mouth opening and closing, no real words being formed while his brain caught up to his eyes. "What the Hell! Get off of my brother!" Dean yelled belligerently in their direction.

"Dean relax! If anyone needs to be in protective brother mode it's Cas! Not you!" Sam retorted pulling Gabriel's smaller body into his arms.

"What!" Dean cried out as he looked from face to face hoping to find an ally with at least Castiel (to whom the relationship was also news). However as an Angel he could feel the bond between them was, while in its infancy, a strong permanent Angelic/Soul bond.

"Dean-O… Dean-O… Dean-O...! This really isn't the way we wanted you to find out about this, but…" Gabriel started tauntingly his smug smile stretching wide across his face.

"Gabriel wait!" Castiel interrupted his brother and he struggled to keep the panic from showing on his face.

"No! He needs to know Cas." Gabriel retorted and Castiel hung his head slightly the move not going unnoticed by Dean.

"What's up, Cas?" Dean asked him.

"I think he might take this better from you, little bro." Gabriel suggested, and before Castiel could think of anything to say in reply, with a snap of his fingers only Dean and Castiel remained.

"Son of a… Where did they go?" Dean cried out as he twirled about searching for his brother and Gabriel in the crowds.

"Gabriel has many places he calls his own in this world, Dean. You need not worry about them; they are fine." Castiel replied with a long-suffering sigh; in his dread of the conversation that he knew must now take place.

"Well? What is going on then?" Dean asked point blank causing Castiel to cringe visibly, which caused Dean to fear the worst for his baby brother. "What the hell! I mean, I only just got him back and now what? What's Gabriel gone and done to him now?" Dean cried out further increasing Castiel's anxiety unknowingly.

Unable to bear the suffocating crowds of people any longer, Castiel reached out and pressed two fingers to Dean's forehead, instantly transporting them to a nearby vacant motel room, which resembled countless rooms inhabited over the years by the Winchesters.

"Cas! Warn a guy would you! Geez, it feels like you forgot my stomach back there for Christ's sakes!" Dean swore as he stumbled drunkenly falling into the motel room's couch gracelessly.

"Do not blaspheme before me; Dean!" Castiel yelled his real voice leaking through his vessel's gravely low growl shocking Dean into a more attentive pose on the couch before which Castiel stood.

"You're right Cas. I apologize." Dean said sincerely for once, he hadn't meant to offend his friend; the time apart had left him with bad habits, clearly. After a few minutes of staring at one another, Dean broke the silence. "Why did you bring me here, Cas?" He asked quietly.

"I need to explain and this seemed the best place for that conversation I suppose." Castiel responded succinctly.

"Well get on with it then?" Dean urged gently his posture relaxing and seeing this Castiel lowered himself to the edge of the closest bed and laid his elbows on his knees keeping his eyes on Dean's the entire time.

After a few moments he cocked his head to the side and asked, "What do you know of Angelic bonds, Dean?"

To which his eyes widened in shock and he started to shake his head back and forth. "Not much really. I read a little about them in passing back when Angels first started coming out of the woodwork." Dean replied his hands starting to clench and unclench in his anger, his imagination running wild at Castiel's opening comment.

"Well, not much is known about them in general as they are exceedingly rare… Although, I would venture that they are not as rare as they once were." Castiel started to explain getting lost in his own responses to the topic, adding to Dean's confusion. "An Angelic bond is created between two mates; there are different types of bonds, and different stages to each bond." Here Castiel paused and uncharacteristically cleared his throat nervously. "The first stage is evidenced by a physical mark or claim on the Angel's potential mate. And once reciprocated the bond becomes permanent and the bonding process is begun."

Dean listened intently as Castiel explained Angelic bonds and certain terms and inflections caused his blood to run cold. His mind started to replay; countless conversations, and errant taunts thrown their way, over the years by both Angel's and Demons alike. Dean forced all this down as far as he could and tried to focus on his brother; who he was under the impression they were supposed to be speaking of. "What does this all have to do with Sammy?" Dean asked somewhat subdued.

"Gabriel was the one to pull him from the Cage, Dean. And in my experience, that process involves every facet of our Grace. With such close contact with a damaged soul it is only natural for your Grace to reach out and attempt to heal the damages." Castiel explained gently his bright blue eyes never leaving Dean's green ones.

"What are you saying Cas?" Dean asked after a moment or two of prolonged significant eye contact between the two.

"I think you know Dean." Castiel responded not wanting to have to spell it out for the hunter.

"I think that it's time that you told me the truth Cas." Dean said all the while internally bracing himself for what Castiel might say. It took him a moment but Castiel nodded once slowly and finally explained as best he could.

"It is so very rare for an Angel's Grace to come into contact with a human soul outside of Heaven; especially a broken one. And yours is so bright, Dean, so pure and you were so badly damaged - I didn't even consciously decide - my Grace, it autonomously sought you out; the cracks, the imperfections; sealing them over and remaking your soul whole again. It wasn't until the process was finished that I realized what I had done, but it was far too late then. And now all I can do is apologize; for not giving you a choice, Dean." Castiel explained, head bowed and eyes trained on his hands, which he held clasped tightly in his lap.

"And so, Sammy?" Dean asked his voice shaking a little.

"Yes, Dean. Gabriel and Samuel have formed a reciprocated permanent Angelic bond. They both have a claim on the other as a mate, and while the bond is in it's infancy… There is little that would negate it at this point." Castiel further explained, as Dean sat staring his eyes not really seeing Castiel anymore but reliving his memories of his little brother. Suddenly Dean snapped out of his trance like state, startling Castiel momentarily as the hunter leapt to his feet and started to pace frantically the length of the cramped motel room.

"There has to be something that we can do, Cas!" Dean cried out, as he waved his arms about frantically, finally rubbing his hand over his face and slipping back into his previously vacated seat defeated.

"Why would you, Dean?" Castiel asked his head tilting in question. Dean paused remembering just how much he missed the Angel at seeing the familiar move before answering the seemingly rhetorical question.

"What are you talking about Cas? Of course we need to do something; it's the Trickster for Christ's Sakes!" Dean yelled spittle flying from his mouth in his anger.

"Dean you forget; Gabriel is my brother." Castiel replies quietly one eyebrow raised experimentally.

Dean deflated at Castiel's words, but mostly at the knowledge that Castiel doesn't think that this bond between Sam and Gabriel is anything nefarious. Dean couldn't think of anything he would hate more than being permanently bonded to someone like Gabriel, or anyone really. "I think it's time you took me home, Cas." Dean finally tells him despondently. Castiel stiffens at the suggestion, but after a few moments rises to his feet and waits for Dean to approach him. Dean lifts his tired body up off the couch and as soon as he is stood facing Castiel he places two fingers in the middle of his forehead and sends him straight to Lisa's alone.


	2. Welcome Home Sammy

Dean appeared in Lisa's living room alone, which evoked disparate and simultaneous emotions in Dean. All of which he pushed down fully intending on ignoring them. Dean's knees gave out and he sank exhausted onto the soft couch, which had seen better days even if Lisa did keep it immaculately clean.

He wiped his hand over his face in exasperation and slowly let out the breath he'd unknowingly been holding since he left Castiel. He felt bad of course for leaving like he did, but he needed time to think, time to process what Castiel had told him. Dean turned on the television and started flipping through channels almost without pause.

Castiel sat alone in the motel room contemplating Dean's reaction to the information on Angelic bonds. Castiel isn't sure why he is so disappointed though because it isn't like he wasn't expecting Dean's knee-jerk reaction. Of course as it turns out deep down he secretly hoped that Dean would understand and accept this more gracefully than he had.

Now all he could do was pray that this didn't push Dean further away from him or damage their friendship in any permanent way. Because really this was all Gabriel's fault, if he hadn't taunted Dean like that, flaunted their relationship in front of him so blatantly then none of this… Castiel sighed aloud; he knew he was deceiving himself.

Dean Winchester's been walking around with Castiel's mark on his shoulder ever since he pulled him from perdition and everyone knows it; it's just that everyone now includes Dean.

Dean still hadn't moved when Lisa came into the living room and started asking questions about where he had been and how long he'd been back. Questions that Dean really didn't want to answer.

"So Angel's…?" Lisa eventually asks, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Uh yeah… What about them?" Dean replies cautiously, eying her out of the corner of his eye as he pretends to watch some infomercial for Ginsu knives.

"What are they like?" She asks.

"Mostly they're Dicks with wings." Dean tells her tersely.

"What?" Lisa cries out, shocked by his response.

"Yeah they're not all haloes and harps, they're soldiers who blindly follow orders and generally have no sense of humour, well except Gabriel, but that's different. And Cas too I guess, but no one really gets his humour." Dean elaborates sharply at first but his words devolve into a mumble as he stares at the coffee table as if it were a hexed object.

Dean is pissed because he had been trying not to think about Angels ever since Cas sent him home, and now he couldn't stop thinking about them. He wipes his hand down over his face and exhales loudly and slowly gets to his feet. He starts to shuffle a little and his eyes dart about the room aimlessly as he searches his brain for the words he knows he needs to say.

"Listen Lisa, this really isn't fair to you and I gotta tell you, I am really appreciative of all the help you have given me these last few months, but I think it's time I moved on." Dean finally says in one hurried sentence as he spoke he took a step back or two until he finally looks up and waits for her response.

"I understand, and I wish you all the best in life Dean Winchester." Lisa replies, her voice even and carefully controlled, after a few seconds of silence. While it isn't exactly what he'd been expecting, really it was the best outcome he could have hoped for. He let out another long breath and they both tried to smile, failing miserably.

And so Dean spent about half an hour gathering all his meagre belongings and untarping his baby. And with her familiar rumble in his ears he pulled out onto Main Street and headed for the highway once again.

Of course with no real destination he simply drove, and when he was tired he pulled into the next motel he saw and got a single room. He repeated the process for weeks just following the road and letting it lead him where it may. After almost a month he finally opened up a newspaper and started actively looking for a case, a destination, a purpose, something.

Castiel knew he needed to give Dean space and so it wasn't until the next week that he realized how big of a mistake he had made the afternoon Gabriel took them to the pie fair. Castiel appeared in Lisa Braeden's living room and knew instantly that Dean was long gone.

He stayed long enough to question Lisa and after getting her biased opinion on Dean's reasons for leaving Castiel flew straight to the top of Mount Everest. With the Enochian carvings on his ribs even he couldn't find Dean Winchester if he didn't want to be found.

With nothing but time Castiel returned to Heaven and started to work on the chaos that he found upon his return. Having been resurrected by their father gave him certain notoriety and most fell inline behind him, some were still loyal to Raphael however and soon Castiel found himself at war with his older brother.

At first Dean stuck with simple salt and burns, nothing too dangerous since he was hunting solo. He relished being back in the game even if he did miss his brother and although he barely let himself think it for more than a few seconds Castiel too. He missed having them along for the ride, Sam's many bitch faces and Castiel's questioning head tilts.

Immediately after leaving the fair, Sam and Gabriel appeared in the same safe house that they had been calling home since they returned topside. Sam at first tried to tell Gabriel that Dean would come around, but after not hearing anything from neither Dean nor Castiel they had to admit that maybe he might not.

It didn't take Sam long to get restless and so he did what he'd been taught to do: hunt. Having Gabriel along made for much smoother hunting trips and the travel time could not be beat, even if he did miss the Impala and his brother.

This went on for several months until finally Dean took the first step and reached out to his formally tight knit family. As he drove onto Bobby's property he felt his heart clench. Dean parked alongside the house and silently made his way to the door across the aging porch, holding open the rusty screen door, he knocked with a steadier hand than he actually felt capable of.

It didn't take Bobby long to answer, and Dean could hear him grumbling loudly as he approached the door, "What Idijt is it now? It's damn near grand central here, what does a guy need to do to get a little peace and quiet these days?" Bobby muttered under his breath right up until he yanked open the door and even though his eye's widened a little upon seeing Dean, he barked out, "Well are ya just gonna stand there all night letting the warm air out or what?" Dean nodded tightly and stepped into the house and continued on into the living room heading straight for the couch.

Bobby lowered himself into the recliner that faced the couch and settled in to wait for Dean to tell him what he was doing in his living room after nearly eight months of no contact after they parted ways in Stull cemetery.

"So Sam's back." Dean finally blurts out, not yet looking at Bobby, as he was still hoping to avoid seeing his reaction.

"Yeah so I gathered when he and Gabriel flew in looking for something or other in the library a few weeks back." Bobby grouses.

"They're hunting together then?" Dean asks, sitting up straighter all of a sudden. Then internally kicking himself for blurting out his question, of course they would be hunting together they were together after all.

"That's what I gather. They don't stop by often, but then that's not all that different from…" Bobby replies and falters as he sees Dean wince slightly at the comment.

"Well I guess things are getting back to normal for everyone then... You mind if I crash here for a bit? I'm between hunts right now." Dean asks after a minute or two of semi uncomfortable silence.

"You know you're always welcome here son." Bobby tells him in an uncharacteristically gentle tone, which Dean studiously ignores, nodding his goodnight, as he grabs his duffle and starts to trudge up the stairs slowly.

"Idjit," Bobby mutters to himself as he listens to Dean climb the stairs. He debates calling Sam to let him know that Dean had shown up, but he figures that it had been months with no word so it was unlikely that one more night would make much of a difference.

Dean slept better than he had since Stull and awoke with the sun, the birds chirping loudly outside the window he left open just a crack over night. He could smell that Bobby had beaten him into the kitchen already and with a languorous stretch of his tightly wound back muscles he promptly threw on some clothes and headed down to the kitchen.

He found Bobby just about to crack eggs into a pan on the stove, "You want one or two egg-in-a-hole's?" Bobby asks the pan, which had begun to sizzle releasing the smell of melting butter to mix with the heady aroma of coffee already heavy in the crisp early morning air.

"Sounds good, I'll take two if you got them." Dean answers as he pours himself a mug of coffee and takes a seat at the kitchen table. Dean flips through the paper while Bobby gives the eggs more attention than they strictly deserve. The minute the plates hit the table the atmosphere changes drastically and Dean feels compelled to fill the silence.

"So, you think they might drop in anytime soon?" Dean asks in a carefully uninterested tone.

"If you want to see him so bad, why don't you call him, ya idjit!" Bobby declares and stares pointedly at the newspaper that Dean had abandoned when Bobby put the food in front of him. Breakfast was a silent affair afterwards, Dean deep in thought and Bobby giving him time to think things through.

It wasn't until the dishes were done and Bobby was already in his study picking up researching where he left off the night before when Dean finally makes up his mind on the matter.

"So you got a number for him, cause I'm not sure the one I've got is still good." Dean mutters from the doorway.

"He's still got the same number, never did get cut off somehow." Bobby tells him without looking up; he couldn't suppress the smile that came once Dean turned back into the kitchen though.

Dean walked back into the kitchen and sat back down and pulled out his cell and scrolled through his contacts. The minute he hit send he was up and pacing the length of the room though. It rang enough times that he was sure it would go to voice mail, but at the last second a familiar voice came though the line.

"Hey, Dean" Sam answers, as if they had spoken just last night, as if no time at all had passed, as if he hadn't jumped into the cage, as if he hadn't been gone for months only to show up on the tricksters arm. Dean almost hung up, but Sam just keeps talking all the while wondering if his brother really did actually call him finally.

"Dean you there? Dean? Hello?" Sam continues, raising his voice progressively, as if that would somehow help the connection even if that were the problem.

Until Dean finally responds, rolling his eyes at Sam's phone manners, "Yeah, Yeah I'm here Sam." Dean says quietly.

"Dean. It's so good to hear your voice man." Sam tells him earnestly, and Dean can just imaging his brothers floppy hair getting in his eyes, and his bright smile that he can hear plain as day in his younger brothers voice.

"You too Sammy, you too... So I hear from Bobby that you guys have been hunting?" Dean starts with the easy stuff, the safe topic of hunting.

"Uh yeah we have been, ever since well... Since I got back I guess." Sam replies cautiously.

"Me too, well I took some time off an just drifted a little trying to get my head on straight there for a bit." Dean says.

"Yah? Well that's great then, Dean, that's really great." Sam answers somewhat stiffly for the first time during the conversation. After a few beats of silence on both ends of the conversation, Dean clears his throat and asks what he intended to ask in the first place.

"So, uh, you need any help on any of the cases you're working on lately?" He stumbles through awkwardly, while rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"That would be great Dean, yah sure we could definitely use some help. We just discovered a large nest of Vampires down in Georgia, close to Lake Seminole. So you know we could definitely use the backup on that one." Sam says in a relieved rush, stumbling over the words in his excitement.

"Whoa there Sammy, slow down man I could hardly understand a word of that gibberish." Dean teases his little brother with a giant smile on his face, inwardly glad that no one is around to witness it.

"It's Sam, Dean, and are you in or not because people are dying." Sam retorts with forced snark, having Dean call him Sammy meant, in Dean speak, everything was all good between them.

"Yah well it'll take me a day or two to get down there from Bobby's, but hells yeah count me in." Dean replies and with a smile still plastered across his face, he finally stops pacing and sits back down at the kitchen table and for the first time in months his shoulders aren't up around his ears.

"Well we were kinda wanting to deal with it a little sooner than that. I mean we could just come and get you and have you back before you could even drive there yourself Dean." Sam counters, with almost no hope of Dean agreeing, Sam remembers how much Dean disliked Air Angel.

Dean let the comment hang in the air for long enough that Sam couldn't stand it any longer. "Well I guess a day won't make that much difference, I guess. I mean it's not like…" Sam mutters until Dean interrupts, "Shut it Sammy! If Gabe wants to play chauffeur Angel so that we can get there and back without driving all over the country then I guess I can deal with that." Sam's silence spoke volumes.

"Alright then, we'll be there in an hour then and go straight there. We have already done all the research on this one so you'll get off easy this time Dean." Sam replies his excitement leaking through again. "Okay I'll see you guys in a bit then." Dean answers and hangs up.

Dean wastes almost half an hour coming to grips with their conversation until he realizes that he agreed to fly Air Angel with Gabriel willingly. He spends the remaining time distracting himself outside with his baby getting ready for the hunt, groaning and muttering under his breath about trickster Angels the entire time. He pats her on the trunk as he shuts it after strapping the last machete onto his person, "Sorry girl, but your gonna have to sit this one out." He says when Dean's moment with his baby is rudely interrupted by the sound of feathers.

"Hey" Both brothers say simultaneously while looking around awkwardly. Gabriel of course couldn't help himself, "How's it hanging Dean-O?" He says tauntingly, torn between loyalty to his mate and to his brother. "Ignore him," Sam tells his brother as he hip checks his mate while rolling his eye in exasperation. "You ready to go then?" Sam continues on, wanting to focus on the hunt before they had a chance to devolve into threats and name calling.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be, but I don't suppose you wanna share that research now, Sammy?" Dean asks his teeth clenched in anger at Gabriel whose mere presence annoyed him to no end. "Oh yah sure Dean, here you go," Sam hands Dean a manila folder as he speaks. Dean flips through the documents his brother hands him skim reading and easily picking out the high points. Even after months of civilian life, hunting is like riding a bicycle for Dean Winchester. "Alright lets do this thing." Dean says and hands the folder back to Sam, who waves it in Gabriel's direction and it promptly disappears into thin air.

Unlike Castiel, during their fight to stop the apocalypse, Gabriel doesn't require physical contact to transport Dean along with Sam and himself. They arrive just outside the Vampire's nest and it's a near thing that Dean keeps his mouth shut and doesn't loose his lunch upon landing in the great state of Georgia. Sam unnecessarily holds up his finger to his lips to which Dean rolls his eyes.

The silent hand gestures and signals come back to the brothers easily and with Gabriel's mind reading and bond with Sam the threesome descend upon the Vampire nest with deadly efficiency. It takes them twenty minutes to decimate a nest of thirty Vampires, which was unheard of in pre-apocalypse times.

They reconvene and with a nod from Gabriel that the nest is no more, he also removes the blood and gore from their persons earning an eyebrow raise from Dean at the unexpected gesture. Sam immediately goes to Gabriel's side and slots underneath his wing while he curls his arm around his mate's smaller vessels back underneath his wings. Dean of course can't see Gabriel's wings, but Sam being a vessel bonded to the Archangel can see and interact with them if Gabriel so chooses. Dean blinks at the sight and when he opens his eyes again they are once again stood next to the Impala in Bobby's yard.

"So…" Sam starts to say awkwardly.

"Yeah, so I guess I'll head in and see what Bobby's up to then." Dean answers stiffly still not sure how to bridge the gap between them now that things have changed so drastically.

"Why don't you go on in with him, Sammy? I'll be right behind you." Gabriel jumps in before either brother could dig a deeper hole for themselves. He makes shooing motions towards both brothers and they eventually give in and meander into the house leaving Gabriel in the yard.

"So how are you?" Gabriel asks aloud the moment the door slammed shut.


	3. Feathers

Chapter 3: Feathers…

Previously: "So how are you?"

"Spectacular, and you Gabriel?" Balthazar answers from his perch (on top of the Impala).

"Can't be beat, brother. What are _you_ doing here?" Gabriel asks pleasantly, his wings arching high above his head aggressively.

"Chill, bro. I'm here Cassie's behalf. He asked me to keep watch over Singer's place just incase Dean showed his ugly mug." Balthazar answers with an easy swagger that eludes most Angels.

"And what is our little Cassie bear up to these days?" Gabriel asks, as Balthazar lifts his wings and glides to the ground.

"He's running Heaven now, or haven't you heard?" Balthazar replies, his spine straightening as he speaks to his - once upon a time - superior.

"Our little Cassie's all grown up now - is he?" Gabriel says tauntingly with a soft smile on his face.

"Much to Raphael's dismay. Our brother hasn't taken to Cas's plans so well, unlike much of the host." Balthazar tells Gabriel, eyebrow raised in question. Gabriel stands silent for a moment, before nodding to his brother and taking flight without a word. Balthazar immediately returns to Heaven intending to seek out Castiel and give him the news he has been waiting months for.

Gabriel alights in the middle of Bobby's living room, and finds both brothers sitting on the sofa. "How's it going in here boys?" Gabriel asks, and then pops a lollipop into his mouth.

"We're good, you?" Sam asks, his body language asking Gabriel to take his place next to his mate. Dean is still getting used to their relationship, but he doesn't say anything aloud when Gabriel suddenly appears practically in Sam's lap.

"Don't let me interrupt your brotherly bonding time, Sammy. Just pretend I'm not here." Gabriel says, nuzzling Sam, while Dean rolls his eyes and gets to his feet.

"You're not interrupting anything - dude." Dean mutters and walks away, needing a break. He heads upstairs and gets out of his hunting gear and takes a few moments for himself. Dean can't help but notice when he comes back downstairs that even though Sam and Gabe are in the same positions, as when he left them, Sam's clothes are different and he looks much more relaxed.

"You guys stickin' round for dinner?" Dean asks, as he comes back into the living room.

"Sounds good, what's the plan?" Sam responds after a few seconds.

"Uh… I was thinking about heading into town, maybe, that diner over on 3rd?" Dean says, rubbing his neck and then immediately whipping his arm back down to his side with an audible huff.

"Sure, sounds good. Gabe?" Sam replies and then looks to his bondmate for what Sam thought would be an unnecessary response.

"Actually I have somewhere I need to be, you two head on out without me and have a good time. Just give me a call when your ready to go home and I'll swing by and pick you up." Gabriel says genially, as they get to their feet. A quick kiss on the lips, a peck really in the grand scheme of things, and Gabriel disappears leaving the Winchester siblings alone once again.

"Shall we, then?" Dean prods and heads towards the front door.

"What about Bobby?" Sam asks hopefully, as he follows his older brother.

"He's out, picking up supplies or something like that. He said he'd be back sometime late tonight, and not to wait up." Dean informs Sam, as they close up the house and head out to the Impala. The brother's fall back into an easy routine, built on years of living out of each other's pockets, and were soon walking into the marginally busy diner on 3rd.

They slide into a booth with good sight lines and after looking over the menu for a moment. Sam mutters, "looks like the menu hasn't changed since we were here last."

Dean nods towards the counter where they have pie on display, "Yep, not much has changed round here. Cept you and I." Sam's head snaps up at his comment, and he narrows his eyes and retorts harshly. "You haven't changed a damn bit, and leave Gabriel out of this! You don't know what you're talking about Dean."

"No can do Sammy, I gotta know. What the hell? He's the trickster, for God's sake!" Dean whisper yells at his not so little brother. Sam takes a few moments to breathe deeply while he attempts to structure his rebuttal. He and Gabe had of course talked about what he would say to his brother once he finally got over himself, but in the face of Dean's ire and ignorance all his plans go right out the window, and he feels like he is sixteen years old all over again.

"Look, I know this came as a shock to you, and all, but you should know that Gabe and I…" Sam starts to respond but the next part gets caught in his throat.

"You and Gabe what? Sammy?" Dean prods impatiently.

"Well, it's just that… I mean, before the whole Pagan God meet up to go up against Lucifer thing, Gabe and I were kinda…" Sam struggles to explain further and Dean doesn't hesitate to jump on his weakness.

"So what you're saying is, you hid something-else from me, Sam?" Dean asks point blank, his brother's behaviour during the lead up to Sam's swan song at Stull cemetery suddenly making a lot more sense to him.

Sam has the decency to look ashamed, and the waitress picks this highly charged moment to interrupt to ask for their orders. One salad and one burger order later, Sam takes a chance and looks into his brother's eyes. Floored by the hurt and disbelief he sees there, he attempts to explain.

"I know I promised I wouldn't keep anything from you again, but Gabe was hard to wrap even my head around. There was so much else going on, what with the apocalypse and all. I guess I thought I could figure out what was going on between us first before I told you. Then he died, then well - you know - and so I just never got the chance, until… I know finding out like that was a douche move, but sometimes it's a little, I don't know - daunting - telling you stuff like this, you know?" Sam speaks his stilted peace; as Dean silently listens to his baby brother, the brother he practically raised, tell him that he didn't feel comfortable telling him what was going on in his life.

"No Sammy I don't, but I guess it's something that we'll have to work on or something." Dean tells Sam just as the blond waitress that until then Dean hadn't even noticed delivers their food. Dean gives her his trademark grin, that never fails to elicit a blush, and is often answered in kind. Sam huffs an annoyed breath as he tucks into his salad and attempts to ignore his brothers flirting. Some things never change. Sam soon finds himself disgusted by his brothers eating habits even more so than his flirting, when the waitress finally leaves them to go see to her other tables.

They eat in silence and Sam is grateful that Dean doesn't bat an eye when the check comes, since Gabriel simply mojo's most things they need into existence. The ride back is filled with the familiar guitar riffs of Zeppelin's II, which alleviates some of the homesickness Sam's been dealing with, since Gabriel returned him topside. Meanwhile Dean is quietly rehashing the revealing conversation they'd had at the diner. By the time they pull up the Bobby's, and pile out, Dean's not sure he could have done anything different, but he's sure it's his fault anyways.

The brothers shuffle into the house and silently agree to congregate in the living room. Dean reaches for the remote first and Sam sighs quietly. Dean knows he should attempt to talk to Sam some more, after being separated for so long, but it's easier to use the TV as a crutch to enable his avoidance. Sam looks inward and accesses his bond with Gabe to see if he's still busy, doing what ever it is Archangel's in hiding do.

Both brothers are so lost in thought that they miss the quiet rustling of feathers, a dead give-away to an Angel's appearance.

And so Castiel is free to observe his charge and Sam unnoticed for a few moments. That they are deep in thought is obvious in their facial expressions, even if Castiel didn't know these humans so well he would know this instantly. While they sit on the same couch. They are as far apart as physically possible and have gone so far as to turn away from one another.

Castiel is startled out of his staring by Dean's sudden out burst, "Christ! Cas, we gotta get you a bell!" Castiel lets the corner of his lip turn up in answer, "Hello Dean. Sam." And simply continues to stare at his charge. Sam clears his throat and calls for his mate. "Hey Cas! So, um, listen Dean it's great to see you and all, but I really should be going." Gabriel arrives just as he finishes his sentence and has gotten to his feet.

"Wait, you're leaving already? But you just got here!" Dean cries out, as he too jumps to his feet. The blue eyed Angel's wings fidget, and the sound of rustling feathers can be heard, as he observes the others. "And I can come back anytime, just give me a call. Okay Dean?" Sam tells his brother softly, his long arm wrapping securely around Gabriel's shoulders, as he speaks. "Fine." Dean huffs, and crosses his arms in front of his body. Gabriel stays unusually silent during the exchange and even more so says nothing and they disappear.

Leaving Castiel and Dean Winchester alone in Bobby Singer's living room more than eight months after Castiel told Dean about Angel bonds. Awkward doesn't cover it, and neither want to speak first, both determined to be the last to look away. They might have gone on like this for hours if Bobby hadn't arrived. He comes in the back door quietly, but once he starts rooting around in the fridge neither Castiel nor Dean can ignore his presence any longer.

"Hey Bobby, how'd the errands go?" Dean shouts towards the kitchen, and since the staring contest has broken he decides to retreat to the kitchen. Dean uses the fact that he is a guest in the man's home as his excuse for running away from the conversation he knows he has to have with Castiel. Castiel closes his eyes briefly and allows himself be grateful that Dean is only avoiding him, and not yelling at him.

Unsure of his welcome Castiel stays in the living room, as Dean and Bobby pass short grunts and half words back and forth. Its a language filled with shrugs and facial ticks that are only understood after years of practice. It seems an age to Castiel even though he has lived millenniums he finds waiting for Dean Winchester to have a strange effect on the passage of time. Dean returns to the living room to find Castiel's head tilted and so deep in thought that he for once in the years they've known one another startles the angel.

"Dude! What are you thinking so hard about?" Dean queries, with a good-natured chuckle.

"You." Castiel answers truthfully, as deadpan as ever. Dean swallows slowly around the lump that's suddenly lodged in his throat. Dean rubs a hand over his face roughly and regards his angel with an expression that has Castiel standing straighter, even though that is technically impossible.

"So… I guess we have a few things to talk about, hey?" Dean says deciding at the last minute to just dive right in, screw putting this off.

"I, yes, that would be wise. Dean." Castiel answers and leaves the floor to Dean, allowing the hunter to set the pace. The minutes or maybe seconds it takes Dean to get his words in order allow the sounds of Bobby's house to rise to distracting levels.

The whine of the fridge, the creaking of the floor boards in the back of the house where Bobby is hiding out. The static of a radio station lost to the remoteness of the salvage yard are almost too much in the moment. If it weren't for the ticking of the clock in the study they might have slipped back into one of their epic staring jags.

"So right, okay well I guess I should start by apologizing for over reacting." Dean said without breaking eye contact.

"No Dean you had every right to…" Castiel interrupts, only to have Dean interrupt him right back.

"Dude no, I really didn't. I mean yeah you should have told me, when it first came up, but I can understand why you didn't. I know I would have probably done the same thing." Dean tells Castiel truthfully.

"I highly doubt that, Dean." Castiel says so sure of his opinion.

"Dude you have way to much faith in me." Dean says his anger leaking into his tone.

Castiel's eyes flash, "Do not speak of yourself like that Dean. You are the best man I know." And Castiel is so passionate, so desperate to have Dean believe his words that thunder claps loud overhead punctuating his words in a way that mere mortals are unable.

Dean grabs the back of his neck, feeling awkward in the face of Castiel's fervent belief in him. Castiel takes a step back having inexplicably found himself only inches from his charge. The sound of rustling feathers distracts Dean from his internal freak-out at the rush of heat that had exploded throughout his veins at finding Castiel close enough that he could feel the higher than normal body heat his vessel seemed to radiate.

"Why can I hear that, when you're not about to fly off, now?" Dean asks too distracted to realize he may have revealed too much. Castiel visibly starts at his question at first confused it takes him a few seconds to replay the last few minutes back and then he couldn't keep a tiny smile from breaking out, as he replies. "It's the result of you accepting the bond, Dean. It's the first step."

Dean takes an audible breath and holds it, his eyes wide, his body frozen, his mind completely locked up. The overwhelming sensations flooding his system have his eyelids fluttering and eyes rolling back into his head, much to the distress of Castiel who doesn't hesitate to reach out and pluck his hunter from his suddenly unstable legs. With all the effort of lifting a feather Castiel gathers Dean up into his arms and flies them to the couch. Using a tendril of grace to investigate, he internally berates himself for his carelessness.

As soon as Castiel withdraws him grace from the bond, Dean's eyes flutter again and he lets out a loud groan. Heat floods Castiel's cheeks at his vessel's response to Dean while so indisposed. "What. was. that?" Dean asks his voice rough with emotion.

"My apologies Dean, I lost control of the bond for a moment and it overwhelmed you." Castiel admits, and hangs his head in shame.

This has the same effect that a jolt of electricity would and Dean bolts upright immediately his eyes wide. "What?" He cries out, knee jerk like, then blushes at his outburst and quickly thinks of how to back track since he is attempting to not over react to this whole bond thing after the last time. Castiel meanwhile steels himself for the blast of outrage that he expects to follow, and flounders in its absence.

"Dean?" Castiel asks finally breaking yet another long minute of silence.

"Is that what it feels like all the time?" Dean wonders aloud, his ears burning at the chick flick topic.

"No, a completed bond normally fades to the background unless it is actively accessed." Castiel answers, while he attempts to tamp down the burst of hope that has flared painfully in his chest constricting his vessels ability to breathe.

"Oh." Dean utters softly thinking back to the overwhelming sensation of love and safety and heat and comfort so strong he has no frame of reference and felt completely out of his comfort zone. Dean has difficulty naming the feelings, even picking them out individually from the massive all encompassing blast he had received. They were so lost in their own thoughts and struggles with their physical reactions that neither hears Bobby's approach.

"You idjit's just gonna stare at one another all night?" Bobby grouses irritably from the doorway leading to the kitchen. Dean and Castiel immediately lurch apart and make an unnecessary effort to appear casual. Bobby rolls his eyes, "Well I'm turning in, and so make sure you lock up, hey Dean?" The automatic response takes too long and Bobby is already half way back to his room, when Dean finally answers. "Yeah sure Bobby, night!"

"It is late, you require sleep, Dean. I need to…" Castiel starts to say his goodbyes while readying his wings for flight.

"Wait!" Dean cries out, his arm reaching out for Castiel's own, as if he could somehow physically prevent this fantastical being of celestial intent from leaving with his puny human body.

"Yes, Dean?" Castiel asks his solemn inscrutable expression firmly in place.

"Uh, I, uh, I mean… Goodnight Cas." Dean mutters sheepishly retracting his arm slowly, as if it would be less noticeable. Castiel smiles wider than he had all night and disappears in a flutter of feathers.

"Goodnight to you too Dean. Geesh Cas we gotta teach you some manners one of these days!" Dean says to the empty room. Dean went about the nightly chore of checking the wards and locking the house up tight and then settled his exhausted body onto the couch underneath the light blanket kept on the back of the couch.

He doesn't even bother to remove his clothing, he is so mentally drained after his confrontation with first his brother and then Castiel. And of course the Vamp hunt, although that had been easier than any hunt he could remember. Dean had to begrudgingly admit to himself that it was Gabriel's presence, which had made it so.


	4. Wings

Balthazar flew directly to Heaven. Upon arriving he searched out Castiel's grace, finding him easily he transported directly to his brother. While Heaven is not, the typical all-white halos and harps and clouds that humans typically associate with Heaven. It is vast and changing; it is what ever it needs to be. Castiel instated many changes upon his triumphant return, having locked Lucifer to the cage along with Michael.

Castiel felt that the segregation and isolation of souls that had been put in effect by Zachariah, during his rein while Michael licked his wounds after banishing his favourite brother to Hell, wasn't conducive to the enjoyment of the human souls who resided in Heaven. And so the souls were now free to create any environment, they could also congregate in groups; which seemed to be going well.

And so Balthazar found Castiel, in a lavish wood panelled, leather and brass war room, going over plans. Castiel greeted him without taking his intense gaze off of his plans. Balthazar wasn't surprised. Castiel has always had laser-like focus; it's one of his strengths, enabling him to be one of the Hosts strongest strategists.

"Hello Balthazar," Castiel greeted.

"All's quiet on the Western front I see." Balthazar joked.

"Do you have a purpose for being here, Balthazar? Or are you here simply to mock me." Castiel retorted, still focused on his battle plans, which graced a type of futuristic computerized paper.

The technology had yet to be invented, however Castiel felt that this technology might give their side an edge. The ability to manipulate a screen as thin as a piece of paper and as large as an unfolded map using multitouch gestures, coupled with up to the second live feeds from every facet. All displayed visually with the ability to manipulate the data and run scenarios to determine outcomes in real time.

"Yes actually, I do have news. I thought you might want to know that chuckle head one has returned to base camp Singer." Balthazar said with a contrived military pomp.

"I do not understand that reference." Castiel replied exasperated, finally looking up at Balthazar having gleaned enough from Balthazar's words to know that he ought to pay attention.

"Of course you don't." Balthazar muttered with a put upon sigh.

This reminded Castiel of Dean, and he immediately got that smitey look on his face and rounded on Balthazar. "You should show me respect. Balthazar. If it weren't for me Raphael would have restarted the apocalypse by now and then where would you be?" Castiel snarled in his brother's face.

"On Earth having the bloody time of my life!" Balthazar retorted still unused to Castiel's Archangel status.

"Yes, on Earth, but alone and in hiding from Heaven whilst cut off from your brothers." Castiel reminded Balthazar sternly, having first hand knowledge of just how much that affected an Angel he knew Balthazar was bluffing.

"Whatever, like I said before Dean is back at Bobby's." Balthazar said, and vanished leaving a stunned Castiel alone with his battle plans.

Castiel was so stunned his surroundings started to fade and reshape around him. Castiel waffled in his decision; a very unangelic trait waffling. His wings alternately rose to fly or drooping to the ground. He knew this might be his only chance to reunite with his hunter, but he wasn't sure if his grace could take Dean's reaction to their bond.

End flash back

Upon returning from Bobby's Castiel shapes an area of Heaven into a private nest with all the comforts that his true form requires. Lucifer of course destroyed Jimmy's vessel when he exploded him in Stull Cemetery, but Castiel is an Archangel now and able to create his own vessel and alter its appearance at will. Although his true form has taken on some of Jimmy's physical characteristics after spending so long in that form while fighting to stop the apocalypse with the Winchesters.

As Castiel relaxes in his nest he replays the last few hours over and over from the moment Balthazar told him Dean had been spotted at Bobby's to his most recent return to Heaven. He feels that his reunion with Dean couldn't have gone better and is excited that Dean seems to be accepting their bond, albeit slowly. However this was to be expected of the stubborn hunter whom he had fallen in love with the moment he encountered his soul in Hell. He thinks carefully over all he knew of Dean's personality and quirks and came up with a plan of action, namely complete their bond.

Then Castiel realizes something he had been neglecting and suddenly finds himself self-conscious of in the extreme: his wings. His larger than most dark ebony wings are in a state of disrepair having no mate, and having spent years in a vessel with no contact with his brothers. Of course flying through Hell and numerous encounters with Holy-fire and Demons didn't help their condition either. In fact now that Castiel took a good look at his wings he finds: burnt feathers, bald patches and extra fuzzy new growth, which cumulatively are simply; a disgrace.

He doesn't know if he can face his potential mate in such a state and he quickly runs through those he could call to aid him. Then he remembers Gabriel's presence at Bobby's before he was able to speak with Dean. Although, he is mated to Samuel, but possibly with Sam's approval he might groom his wings. The next step of the bonding would expose his wings to his potential mate for approval and so it was imperative that they are presented at their best.

Castiel sent out a call to Gabriel directly asking for his presence, he didn't reply, but after a few minutes of racking his brain for another choice Gabriel appears within his personal nest. "Love what you've done with the place, Cassie!" Gabriel tells his brother with a smirk. "It's very seventies hippy lounge, all you need is some trip rock and stoned out hippy's lounging around a hookah to complete the image." Gabriel continues, even as he adds his own touches to the space and settles onto the floor pillows making himself comfortable. Comfortable for Gabriel meant copious amounts of sugar, which appeared at his whim.

"Thank you for coming Gabriel," Castiel says ignoring his brother's comments and changes to their surroundings. "I have a personal favour to ask of you, and I understand if you have to decline, however I hope that you are able to help me with this." Castiel starts diplomatically, and Gabriel perks up at the word personal, Castiel never asks anything of anyone for himself. "Sure Cas, ask away." Gabriel tells him seriously hoping that it's something he can give his baby brother.

"I, have become aware, recently, of… My wings." Castiel says falteringly his grace leaking his unease and embarrassment. "Oh." Gabriel replies, taking in Castiel's wings, which quiver nervously behind Castiel under his older brothers scrutiny. "Well I am mated now, Cas, so I will have to get Sammy's approval… But I don't see him refusing you this." Gabriel replies to Castiel's relief. "But, Cas I think you shouldn't worry so much about Deano seeing your wings like this. I mean this _is_ his job as your mate." Gabriel tries to tell Castiel as gently as possible.

"I know that traditionally it is a mates job to care for an Angel's wings, but Gabe look at how tattered they are. How could anyone accept them as they are?" Castiel cries, his grace screaming with worry, fear, disgust, and self-flagellation. Gabriel couldn't help reaching out with his grace to soothe his brother, wrapping his wings around Castiel's trembling form.

They stay like this until Castiel calms and Gabriel has received a negative response from his mate. Gabriel understands Sam's refusal and will honour it, and attempt to impress upon Castiel that he has to trust in his mate. This is an important aspect of the bonding process and having his wings groomed prior to approval of his potential mate, might have consequences to the bonding. Gabriel uses his grace to communicate this to Castiel, as even Enochian isn't dextrous enough a language in this instance.

Castiel of course understands the implications and tries to believe Gabriel when he tells him that Dean would accept him as is. Gabriel takes his leave, as soon as Castiel seems to have calmed. His mate is anxious to know what is going on in more detail than he could feel through their bond. Castiel spent as much time as he dared wallowing and dreading the next step that he so hoped would result in furthering their bond.

Dean Winchester awoke from a fairly restful nights sleep, on the couch in Bobby Singers living room, to the sounds of said hunter putting together a heart attack inducing breakfast the aromas of which could already be smelt throughout the house.

Bobby Singer mused over his idjit adoptive sons and their Angels while he puttered in his kitchen, the sunrise filtering through the east facing windows despite the grunge that rendered them practically useless.

Neither hunter acknowledged the other until a sufficient amount of coffee had been consumed by both men, and even then only to request some item be pushed closer to the other. Sam would have been uncomfortable in the quiet, but both Dean and Bobby revelled in it. The absence of Sam's jibes about his life expectancy post breakfast allowing for a silence rarely heard from the elder Winchester. Of course the silence couldn't last and uncharacteristically it was Bobby who broke it.

"You gonna quit with the antics and hunt with a partner from now on then?" Bobby grouses, startling Dean out of his thoughts.

"I've been doing this for years Bobby and I know what I can, and can't handle!" Dean retorts snappishly, hurt at the insinuation that he hadn't been handling himself.

"You know that's not what I meant, boy." Bobby replies, "I meant now that you and your brother are speaking to one another again." He spelt out, eyes wide with unasked questions.

"It's not the same, Bobby, he has Gabriel now. You should have seen it: he flew us in, and cleared out that nest of Vamps in Georgia so fast that Sam and I hardly lifted a finger. I mean it was nothing compared to hunting with Cas…" Dean started to explain excitedly only to stumble upon the topic he wanted to avoid most with all his being.

"Speaking of Castiel, what has that one been up to?" Bobby asks unknowingly treading onto dangerous topics. Dean doesn't answer right off, as he suddenly realizes that they didn't actually get around to talking about that, so he didn't know what Castiel had been up to.

"Um I don't really know, we didn't really talk about that." Dean has to admit when it didn't look like Bobby would be letting the question lie.

"Well what did you talk about then?" Bobby asks nostrils flaring.

"We… um, well…" Dean struggles to think of what to tell his adoptive father. Dean's hand grabs the back of his neck as he struggles for some appropriate answer to give Bobby.

"Don't tell me you two just stood around staring at one another all day, like you usually do!" Bobby practically shouts. To which Dean immediately responds with ire and bravado and promptly leaves the kitchen slamming his way out of the house and into the yard.

"Figures!" Bobby grouses to himself and gets up to deal with the dishes, grumbling under his breath about stubborn idjit's this and stubborn idjit's that the entire time.

Dean contemplates his options and decides to take a drive in his baby. Almost immediately he feels grounded and calmer and he changes the tape to a battered Kansas one that had secretly been his favourite in high school. By the time he is almost half way to Sioux City on the I29 he has listened to most of the album and come to some sort of agreement with himself over "The Castiel Issue" as he has been calling it mentally.

He wheels around at his earliest opportunity and opens her right up as he speeds back towards Sioux Falls. The resolution to his "The Castiel Issue" is simple: Castiel made him happy just by being in the same room. Even if he is hesitant to admit this lest it be snatched from him like all the others that he let himself get close to over the years.

After feeling the bond last night Dean couldn't help but think that avoiding THAT, would be cowardly. Even if it was overwhelming, it was overwhelming in a good way. He returned at an even greater speed than which he left, roaring onto the property sending gravel flying until he realizes that his baby is in jeopardy and slowed down to a more reasonable speed. He launches himself out of his beloved car and into the house fully expecting an Angelic visitor.

Dean isn't disappointed, but he is struck dumb by the sight that greets him in Bobby's living room. Dean could barely see Bobby through all the black feathers and just wings that seem to explode from Castiel's back.

Bobby had been conversing with Castiel prior to Dean's arrival, but as soon as Dean burst into the room Castiel got the most nervous expression on his face that Bobby has ever seen. Coupled with Dean's wide-open mouth and awestruck expression he quietly eases himself out of the room, walking backwards lest he attract any attention to himself in his retreat.

Castiel keeps, as still has possible and holds as tight as he dares to their fledgling bond, he has never felt so exposed before in all his existence. Dean too preoccupied by Castiel's wings doesn't notice how nervous his Angel is. They are six in number and their twenty foot wingspan has them extending through the walls and furniture seamlessly. They are glorious and Dean can't drag his eyes from them. He sees the flaws of course, but they only endear him even more to his Angel, increasing his instinct to protect and smooth all the rough patches away.

This goes on for so long that Castiel can't stay still any longer under Dean's gaze, his wings rustle and start to align for flight. Dean blinks and stumbles towards his Angel, his hand comes up autonomously, but before he can reach him, Castiel disappears breaking Dean's trance violently.

"What the fuck! Cas? Cas, come back! Cas!" Dean cries out and he immediately closes his eyes and starts to pray to his Angel.

Meanwhile Castiel finds himself in the frozen hostile wind swept Himalayas at the peak of Everest contemplating his accursed and tattered appendages cruelly. Going so far as to consider ripping out his grace and falling to Earth to be born a human child to some unsuspecting couple somewhere; simply to forget this piercing all consuming pain.

Before he can do anything so drastic Gabriel alights next to him and wraps him up in his perfect tawny wings. Castiel instantly begins to struggle uselessly against his older brothers hold until finally he relents, as hot tears stream down his face. "There, there, Little one, it's alright, it's going to be okay, Little one." Gabriel soothes while petting Castiel's wings gently.

"No. No, no! No it won't, not ever again it won't!" Castiel cries and starts to struggle anew, this time he uses more of his grace, making a real effort to throw Gabriel from his person.

"Stop, Castiel, Stop!" Gabriel cries out, shocked at his outburst. Castiel continues to struggle and Gabriel doesn't understand, he feels Castiel's pain and can hear Dean's prayers, as he prays to anyone and everyone he thinks might listen. "What happened? Why is Dean praying for you to return to every deity in creation?" Gabriel asks in as soothing a voice as he can manage while attempting to keep hold of a young Archangel who doesn't want to be held anymore.

When Gabriel's words finally seep into Castiel's consciousness Castiel opens himself up to the world again and hears Dean's prayers to him. He had been so upset that he'd closed everything off, so overwhelmed by his own pain.

"Castiel, please come back, I don't understand why you left. Did I do something wrong? Castiel, please come back, I don't understand why you left. Did I do something wrong?" Dean prayed the same thing over and over and over again and planned to keep repeating himself until he got a response, hopefully Castiel back in front of him again.

Castiel slowly ceases his struggles and his tears dry up and turn into hiccups. "Are you alright now, little one?" Gabriel asks cautiously still unsure if should release Castiel for fear that he does something drastic and un-reversible.

"Yes, brother. I may have over reacted." Castiel replies blushing fiercely in his embarrassment having realized that he might have misread his hunter's reaction to his wings. He feels no revulsion in their fledgling bond, only confusion and panic at his disappearance. "Overreacted? I'll say, Cassie there is nothing wrong with your wings, they are battle scars and you should be proud of them, proud of what you have accomplished." Gabriel tells him calmly, as he releases his youngest brother from his wings slowly.

"I know this, Gabriel and I am truly proud of my accomplishments, however it's Dean: he is so perfect, his soul so bright and righteous." Castiel waxes quickly working himself up into a self-flagellating state once more.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Dean loves you Castiel, just as you love him." Gabriel reminds Castiel warmly and breathes easier as his younger brother's grace calms at his words of wisdom.

Castiel remains still for a few moments before nodding deeply to his brother and taking flight for Bobby's once more. Gabriel sighs and returns to his distraught mate. Sam had felt Gabriel's emotions and couldn't resist calling his brother to yell at him for doing whatever he had done to hurt Castiel causing Gabriel to fly off suddenly. Dean of course collapsed into a ball and sat hugging his shins rocking back and forth, as his prayers increased in fervency, desperation spewing forth evident to all those within a few meters especially those linked to him via an Angelic bond.

Castiel arrives to a heart breaking sight: his hunter curled inward rocking back and forth praying aloud tears streaming down his face. He approaches slowly not wanting to startle Dean, still unsure of his welcome into his personal space, but as he draws closer Castiel looses his ability to restrain himself. He finds his arms and wings wrapped around his hunter before he makes the conscious decision to do so.

Slowly Dean starts to feel better and as he does he becomes aware of his surroundings slowly, having never felt Angel wings on his skin before he has nothing to compare the sensation to. He finds he isn't able to meld the tactile and visual stimuli along with the emotional bombardment that he is slowly getting used to associating with Castiel.

They slowly unfold and reposition themselves around one another, never letting go, but with Castiel's powers the laws of physics don't really apply. Dean finds himself fascinated with Castiel's feathers once again and Castiel has to focus on the bond to reassure himself that Dean isn't reacting badly.

Bit by bit Dean explores Castiel's wings, righting feathers that he finds out of place, and smoothing over bald patches with soft touches and murmured praise, the burnt and wrecked feathers come loose at his touch and dissolve into his skin much to Dean's shocked surprise. Castiel is quick to assure him that it is normal and to expect a number of them to come loose this first time.

Castiel has never had a mate before and therefore has never felt this type of pleasure as it singed through his grace at each of Dean's soft touches. Within minutes Dean is determined and focused on his task and Castiel is purring in his utter contentment and pleasure. Castiel continues to bend the world around them to facilitate the impromptu grooming session and keep Dean focused on his task.

When Dean finally remembers to examine his surroundings hours into things and realizes that Castiel must have moved them from Bobby's living room to a much larger space that accommodated his wings. Unconcerned he redoubles his efforts knowing that they won't be disturbed, since he can't see any doorways from his vantage point.

When he raised his head and took in their surroundings Dean had also made a plan of attack for grooming Castiel's massive wings. He found he had completed most of the primaries on all six wings and is wondering how he might access the lower tertiary wings, when suddenly Castiel realigns and raises them perfectly. Dean's hands dive into the dark midnight blue fuzzy down smoothing carefully from bone to tip feeling along each wing joint with dexterous fingertips.

Castiel suddenly bucks and yelps a high-pitched squeak right as Dean brushes his fingertip along what felt to Dean like a weeping walnut, if walnuts wept. "Whoa, whoa, sorry man, sorry. Should I stop?" Dean says startled out of his single-minded focus after hours of complete silence save for the occasional murmur and sigh from either of them.

"No, please…" Castiel pleads brokenly, his voice rough and much lower than Dean has ever heard it before. Dean is instantly rock hard and seriously contemplating whether his dick would have a permanent impression of his zipper if he doesn't do something to relieve the pressure soon.

Dean has been attempting to ignore his own base physical reaction to grooming Castiel's wings (not wanting to scar his virginal friend), but the sight and smell of Castiel laid out beneath him wings akimbo, purring contentedly… Dean had never told anyone before but Castiel smelt like home, like the Impala: leather, gun powder, gasoline and coffee, but mostly apple pie, all mixed with ozone and the sea and fresh grass clippings.

Dean hands start to shake as they near the base of Castiel's wings right where they meet his vessel, his hips shifting in a vain attempt at relieving the pressure on his aching member. Castiel bit his lips in an effort not to cry out again as he felt Dean's hands get closer to his oil glands, which throb in sync with the ache in his vessel's groin. Dean gently touches the glands with as light a touch as he is physically capable to and feels with the other hand for its mate at the base of the other wing.

Castiel is unable to control his vessel and ruts against the mattress in search of friction his back arching into Deans hands searching for a firmer touch. A low moan escapes Dean's mouth unbidden at Castiel's sensual response and his fingers squeeze with a mind of their own. A viscous liquid pours forth and Castiel looses his battle and lets a sharp cry of unmistakable ecstasy escape his red and puffy bitten lips.

Startled Dean removes his hands and Castiel jerks as if to follow, "Sorry, sorry, jeez you're so sensitive there." Dean says, as he wipes the oil on Castiel's feathers before bringing his hand up to examine the substance more closely. It seems that Dean has found the source of Castiel's smell, as the oil is pungent with all the smells he associates with Castiel.

"Oil glands." Castiel pants in answer, his voice sounds drugged, as Dean touches a tentative tongue to his fingers tasting Castiel's wing oil. "Oh my God!" Dean cries out, his pupils dilating instantaneously, as he cums in his jeans and collapses onto Castiel's back his bones rendered a rubbery consistency with the force and suddenness of his orgasm.

Castiel manhandles them until Dean is laying beneath him, on his back, his wings peel back to give his hunter space. "No, don't," Dean pleads, his hands flailing towards the wings, Castiel slowly brings his wings back into contact with Dean's body and is rewarded with a purr of his own.

Dean refuses to term what they are doing as cuddling in his own mind, even if he can't come up with another term once it restarts that is. Castiel's oil glands continue to leak until his wings and back are drenched and the smell permeates the room. Dean's heartbeat slows and then speeds along with Castiels' and he knows he must explain before it is too late.

"My oil, it has certain properties, and uses…" Castiel starts to explain. "You think?" Dean retorts his hands running absentmindedly through Castiel's soaked feathers. "Angels only allow their mates to touch their wings, as fledglings the Angel who raises them of course grooms their wings, but that is different." Castiel continues and ends up explaining in more detail than he originally planned to.

"Mates?" Dean asks repositioning himself so that he can reach around his _mates_ back and touch his oil glands again. His mind only listening peripherally his focus on the wing oil that continues to overwhelm his higher brain function.

"Yes mates this is the term Angels use. It is similar to husband or wife, in the English language." Castiel continues and braces himself for the oil gland grope he is expecting.

His words however short circuits Dean's brain and his hand stops mid motion. "Husband?" Dean says his voice wavering and thready, his breath starting to shorten into short sharp breaths of panic. Dean shoves himself back and away from Castiel his eyes wide mouth gaping like a fish. "Wife?" Dean utters again unthinkingly as the situation rewires his brain.

Castiel is just short of disappearing to his perch atop Mount Everest, when Dean begins to blink rapidly and his breaths begin to slow and even out again until Dean is breathing in, slow and steady, holding for longer than normal his eyes closing while his muscles relax from their momentary panic.

"At this stage of the bond I can not tell what causes you panic and fear in such quantities that you are incapacitated and inconsolable." Castiel tells Dean, hoping that he will be graced with a response to his blunt request.

"Are you saying that at another stage you would be able to tell?" Dean asks, without answering Castiel's question.

"Yes." Castiel answers succinctly his head tilted.

"Care to elaborate Cas?" Dean asks taciturnly, his arms folding over his chest.

"A complete bond would mean that we would be able to share, emotions and thoughts over great distances. There are potentials extras and other changes, but these are rare in human Angelic bonds." Castiel finally replies to his increasingly hostile mate after a few moments of silence.

"Can't you already read my mind?" Dean grouses irritably.

"Yes, but you have asked me not too. Although once the bond is complete this would be impossible, however you would have access to mine as well." Castiel replies bringing his wings closer to his vessel.

"Oh…" Dean says, curling inward slightly. They remain silent and slightly uncomfortable next to one another while Dean mulls this over in his human brain. He can see the advantages, but he worries about Castiel having an all access pass to his melon and still wanting to stick around afterwards.

But this is the result that Dean's come to expect and he told himself earlier that he was going to go for it no matter what; because Castiel made him happy. So what if that means that he's essentially married, it's not like he's been with anyone since… Wow, a really long time. Ever since he returned from Hell his libido just hadn't been what it was before he died: at least where Castiel isn't concerned.

Castiel knows that his reaction to his mates touch to his oil glands is natural, but he still can't help feeling self-conscious sitting in an ever-expanding puddle of oil while his mate debates with himself. In the face of Dean's reticence his oil glands are slowly returning to their normal size and state. Castiel feels it is unwise to hold out hope that Dean might accept these new facets of their relationship so quickly.

And so he cleans them up and alters their reality until they are seated cross-legged at either end of the twin bed that Dean has been using at Bobby's for years. Dean leaning against the wall, where traditionally a headboard would be, and Castiel perched at the end of the bed. The room is bare of any luxuries, but contains two twin beds and a stuffed full and very scarred and worn dresser between them along with a small closet (also stuffed full) and a decent sized window, which faces east.

The walls had been painted a light blue years ago; the original curtains fell apart when Dean was in middle school. They were replaced by scraps of old clothes, that the boys had out grown, fashioned into a somewhat workable shade that blocked out most of the worst of the direct rays of light. Those rays that seemed to unerringly find your eye at five o'clock in the morning during the summer months.

Castiel slowly allows the familiar sounds and smells from Bobby's house to fill their reality, which brings Dean out of his thoughts. "Whoa, we're back?" Dean says, startled still not used to Castiel's new powers. "That's pretty sweet, actually Cas! You're as powerful as Gabe is now hey?" Dean tells his best friend with a wide grin.

"No Gabriel is still my elder brother, as he proved earlier. However yes you are correct my abilities have increased since my latest resurrection." Castiel replies his wings giving away his pride.

"What do you mean, as he proved earlier?" Dean wonders aloud.

"It is not of import, Dean." Castiel replies.

"Well something sure happened, cuz Sammy called and yelled at me about being mean to you and how I should fix whatever stupid thing I did fast before Gabriel got back." Dean replies annoyed at Castiel's unwillingness to answer his question.

"Samuel shouldn't have done that, and Gabriel understands what happened. I'm sure he has set your brother straight by now." Castiel tells his mate in an attempt to smooth ruffled feelings without revealing how badly he had overreacted earlier.

"Whatever dude, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Dean retorts, rolling his eyes and thinking about getting up and going downstairs.

Castiel lurches forward and grabs his hunter's hands in his vessel's own, his ebony wings curling forward in their quest to embrace Dean. "I overreacted earlier when you first saw my wings… I was nervous and self-conscious of their appearance. When you stared and did not say anything I assumed the worst and ran." Castiel admits finally eyes downcast.

"Oh, shit. I'm so sorry Cas. I was just so overwhelmed at seeing them for my first time and they are so huge and beautiful and wow I can't even describe it, even now. I am in awe of you, you're beautiful, Cas." Dean says blushing.

"Thank you, Dean. And thank you for grooming them, it's the first time they've been groomed since I was a fledgling following Gabriel around everywhere." Castiel says, a blush of his own gracing his pale skin.

"You're welcome Cas, anytime, we can't have you looking all bedraggled, right." Dean says with a smile and a squeeze of their hands so Castiel knows he means well.

"So you were a fledgling, were you?" Dean asks a rye smile on his face, as he pulls Castiel by his hands until he is forced to follow and reposition them laying side by side on the twin bed, Castiel's wings flowing through the walls and furniture, wrapping around them concealing them thoroughly from any potential prying eyes.

"Yes, I was. Gabriel was given the responsibility for my egg and therefore raising me until I could fly on my own and join my own garrison." Castiel tells Dean.

"At some point you're gonna run out of crazy stuff to tell me right?" Dean mutters eyes wide at the concept that the being he has come to regard as his best friend, his _mate?_ Came from an egg, has wings and was raised by the trickster, who's mated to Sammy? "Wait, so are Sammy and Gabe mated?" Dean blurts out, his head popping back up so he can stare into Castiel's eyes.

"Yes they are, they started completing their bond shortly after Gabriel raised Sam from the cage." Castiel tells Dean, his wings pulling him gently back into place.

"Oh, I forgot about that." Dean mutters and re-clasps their hands together tighter. Dean stares back at Castiel, lost in thought while Castiel attempts to count Dean's freckles (one of his favourite pastimes).

Dean is working himself up to telling Castiel why he had such a strong reaction to Castiel basically saying that they were on track to becoming married permanently. At least he figures that's how it works…

"Hey, Cas so how does this whole bonding thing work anyways? I mean once it's complete and everything is that, you know, it?" Dean says and gestures ineffectively attempting to allude to everything that he can't say aloud.

"Yes, Dean. It is, you know, it." Castiel replies sarcastically.

"Way to break out the sarcasm Cas." Dean retorts, huffily.

"So is it like marriage, till death do you part an all?" Dean continues still not sure of Castiel's answer.

"No Dean. Your soul and my grace would be bound for eternity together neither traveling where the other cannot follow. It is an inexorable link, it essentially enmeshes us into one being." Castiel finally answers more fully.

"Oh, well. That's…" Dean starts to say and trails off into silence as he contemplates what this means for them. Dean's stomach makes itself known loudly and he blushes at how the sound startled him. Castiel smiles wanly and wonders what type of food his hunter would prefer, most likely a cheeseburger, or maybe pie.

Dean finally looks at his watch and realizes that it's way past dinnertime and he barely ate breakfast at dawn. "Do you wanna head into town, to the diner, with me?" Dean asks Castiel somewhat shyly.

"I do not require sustenance Dean." Castiel says without thinking, then seeing Dean's facial response, he adds hastily. "However I could join you at this diner."

"Cool, Cas, thanks. We takin' my baby?" Dean asks offhandedly, as they get up and head towards the door.

"I have missed traveling with you and your baby, so yes we shall." Castiel says good-naturedly and boldly takes Deans hand and transports them outside and into the Impala's front seats.

"Right. Still need to get used to that." Dean says as he starts up the engine, pausing for a few seconds to relish her purr for a moment before he slides her into gear. They drive in comfortable silence, to the same diner that Sam and Dean ate at the other day.

The diner is the same and they even take the same booth, and therefore so is the waitress. Unfortunately she remembers Dean and his flirtatiousness and doesn't wait for a cue from Dean before she is laying it on fairly thick. Castiel holds himself forcefully rigid in his effort to restrain himself from violently responding to the young blond waitress's sexual advances towards his mate. Dean sees that Castiel is offended and hurt by the waitress's attentions, but doesn't know what to do. He's never been in a relationship before, and so he's never had to not flirt with everyone he encounters as a default knee jerk response.

Dean tries to shuffle closer into the booth until he is pressed right up against Castiel and focuses on his menu, even though he plans on ordering the same thing as he did yesterday. In fact he decides to just get that right over with and order, and hope the waitress gets a clue and backs off. "I'll take a cheese burger and a coffee, and we'll have two pieces of whatever pie you have tonight a la mode please." Dean says succinctly and unemotionally as possible without being rude.

The waitress is taken aback by his complete 1 80 in demeanour, but thankfully gets a clue and backs off, the blue eyed Angel's steely gaze may have encouraged her towards this reaction. Castiel lays his arm over the back of the booth directly behind Dean's shoulders and angles himself toward his mate, one eye watches as the blond waitress retreats to the kitchen.

"Ease up there Kojak, she's gone." Dean teases lightly. "Yes I know you don't understand that reference, Cas! We gotta get you schooled on movies and stuff. In fact I'm going to make it my mission…" Dean laments and quickly devolves into fervent planning, which Castiel understands very little of. "I believe we have more important things to discuss than my pop culture education at the moment Dean." Castiel says attempting to steer Dean back on course to completing their bond as intended.

"Oh, right, sure. Um so what else is there? Cuz you're pretty tight lipped about this whole thing, you know." Dean says blushing at his movie rant and storing all his ideas away for when they had a moment of quiet time in the future, but "Smokey and the Bandit" is definitely going on that list.

"Well the first few stages are simple mostly dealing with seeing and touching my wings, the next is the emotional link, which you have felt briefly, but this will be permanent soon. Next will come our mental link, we will be able to communicate over vast distances with only a thought and coupled with the emotional link misunderstandings such as earlier could be avoided. The next stage is unclear, as these bonds are rare, however fully Angelic bond-mates gain and share a similar trait or skill. With human angelic bonds we have only Gabriel and Samuels and our own for guidance." Castiel says quietly, factually belying his own nervousness at the unknown aspects of the bonding.

Castiel feels he has imparted as much knowledge as was necessary to Dean on the subject, and tries not to let Dean's earlier jibe get to him. Waiting for so long to tell Dean of his claim was in hindsight admittedly a poor decision and Dean is simply letting him know in his own way.

The cowed waitress returns with Dean's burger and two glasses of water along with Dean's coffee. "Should I bring the pie now or…" She asks timidly.

"Later please, I don't want the ice cream to melt while I eat my burger, thanks." Dean replies as he plans out his first bite into the succulent burger that is already dripping sauce down his fingers. "Alright, enjoy your meal then." She says and scurries away.

Castiel is just as mesmerized by the burger as Dean, as he can feel how much his mate is enjoying it viscerally. Dean can't help noticing Castiel's wings shivering and twitching their abortive moves so much more revealing than their owners stern facial expression. "Your wings give you away, don't they Cas?" Dean says between bites, wiping his stained lips with the back of his hand absently. "It will take some time to get used to you being able to see them, Dean." Castiel says his cheeks pink, meanwhile he gives up attempting to control said wings and they wrap themselves around his hunter possessively.

"I'll be mighty pissed if you get feathers in my burger Cas." Dean berates without teeth a wide dirty smirk on his face, his eyes bright with mirth. "You might be something, but it wouldn't be pissed, Dean." Castiel teases back with that knowing twitch of the lips that is just so Castiel. Dean manages to choke on his burger and Castiel has to come to his aid, patting him on the back with a little too much force in his haste.

The waitress brought out the pie early just to have an excuse to find out what was going on without being completely obvious. Castiel thanks her tersely still focused on his mate who is slowly regaining his breath and gulping down the contents of one of the glasses of water until it is empty save the ice, which falls forward into his face and threatens to spill out onto the table. Castiel is barely able to hold back his laughter his good humour returning now that his hunter isn't in danger of choking.

Spluttering and wiping his face with his sleeve Dean focuses on the pie thereby completely avoiding the last couple of minutes. There are two healthy pieces of apple pie on the table in front of them. A generous helping of vanilla flecked ice cream scooped into those perfect little balls that only restaurants can achieve gilded the side of each plate. The melting ice cream already melting and turning the crust into soupy goodness instead of flaky goodness, while they pondered it.

"Dig in before the crust is inedible, Cas! You can't beat apple pie a la mode!" Dean says around his first huge bite of the perfect balance of cinnamony pie filling, buttery crust and cold vanilla ice cream, well it would have been perfect if only he had remembered to ask for cheddar cheese. Castiel tries to focus on his own piece of pie, and after the first bite finds it a little easier. Dean can't help but shift in his seat and stare more than usual at his Angel when he starts to eat in earnest. The sounds they both make clearly mark this particular apple pie as one of the best.

Neither left so much as a crumb and both wore satisfied looks on their faces when their eyes met and held having run out of distractions for the moment. Until Castiel starts to glow and buzz at a frequency, which assaults Deans ears while no one else in the diner notices at all. Dean is lifting his finger to his ear to ward off the ringing when he notices Castiel bring out a piece of paper, which has been folded many times over. Upon closer examination Dean realizes it's not a piece of paper, since ink and paper doesn't move; despite what J.K. Rowling's imagination would have us believe.

"What is that?" Dean blurts then covers his mouth and glances around to see if they've attracted any more attention than normal. "Seriously Cas, what's that?" Dean says much quieter this time, as he watches Castiel unfurl the paper and smooth it out over the table having vanished the pie plates to the kitchen, much to the dishwasher's surprise.

"This Dean is the Civil War amongst my brothers." Castiel states and allows Dean to take a look at the multitude of blinking red and orange swathes along with disconcerting black sections. It seems to Dean's human mind like a Risk board crossed with Monopoly fused with snakes and ladders. The legend symbols aren't English, but the pictographs are universal and they depict a bleak milieu.

"Cas…" Dean starts, but falls into a stunned silence, when he realizes he has nothing constructive to say. He suddenly realizes just what his mate has been up to since… Now Dean is the one tilting his head. "How long has this been going on Cas?" Dean asks carefully not wanting to step on any toes.

"Upon my last resurrection there were changes, and with both Lucifer and Michael in the cage there was a power vacuum in Heaven. Many were swayed by God's intervention on my behalf. The others… they follow Raphael in his quest to restart the Apocalypse." Castiel reports without emotion his mind on his battle plans before him, fingers tracing paths and altering scenarios as he speaks.

"And so this is what you have been doing for the past nine months?" Dean asks somewhat dismayed that this was the first time he is hearing of this and otherwise completely impressed with his friend's battle acumen. The plans before him are starting to make more sense as he watches Castiel fiddle with them. "What else would you have me do, Dean? Allow Raphael to restart the Apocalypse, to undo all that we worked and sacrificed for?" Castiel says defensively his wings arching dangerously, the lights shivering along with the water in the glasses throughout the diner.

"Oh course not Cas… I was just wondering why you never asked for help, is all?" Dean asks the question that has been burning in his gut. "I wanted to spare you this, you deserved to have a normal life. After everything, it was too much to ask of you. After Sam." Castiel replies finally taking his eyes off of the plans and gazing into Dean's eyes, wings slumping behind him listlessly.

Balthazar who appears in their booth uninvited ruins the moment. "I see you two love-birds have patched things up then? But really Cassie you still won't take your nose out of those confounded plans of yours? Dean I thought more highly of you!" Balthazar lights right in shattering the moment and highly irritating both in seconds, albeit for different reasons. "Balthazar!" Castiel admonishes while Dean splutters unsure of whose honour to defend first.

"Looks like that Western front isn't as quiet as I thought, huh Cas?" Balthazar chirps as if everything were completely normal. His comment reminds Castiel of the reason for the alert and the plans being on the table in the first place. "I assume Rachael has things in hand?" Castiel asks somewhat cryptically much to Dean's ire. "Of course! You know her; all work and no play that one." Balthazar says with a sneer.

"I thank you for the update Balthazar, however as you know I am fully aware of the situation." Castiel says in an attempt to get rid of his brother as quickly as possible. "The garrison was wondering where you were Cas, their fearless leader gone at such a crucial moment? What might they think?" Balthazar continues to taunt Castiel.

"You listen here you little… there isn't anyone more dedicated than Cas, you hear me no one! And you're a garrison full of eons old Angel's for Christ sakes you can figure out what to do without someone holding your hand for a few hours, jeez!" Dean rages stunning both Angel's into silence.

"He's quite blasphemous for an Angel's mate, don't you think Cassie?" Balthazar responds, proud of the outburst he was able to wring from the notoriously hotheaded Winchester in his brothers honour.

"And keep your feathers to yourself over there, Balthy." Dean snaps, when he takes notice of Balthazar's giant, though not as large as his mates he thought smugly, silver wings extending towards his mate from their initial sprawled posture.

Unbeknownst to Dean this is the next step in bonding and his possessive outburst is met with disparate reactions from the Angel's. Castiel smiles a true smile, and Balthazar stiffens and withdraws his encroaching wings from his previously unmated brother.

"Well I guess I should be going then, brother?" Balthazar says his wings held stiffly behind him giving away more emotions than Dean has ever seen from an Angel. He disappears in a rustle of feathers and dimming lights.

"You have to go?" Dean says as evenly as he is able, not even sure what he is hoping the answer to be.

"I suppose I should join them on the battle field, Dean." Castiel replies and Dean's heart sinks that he isn't joining him. They make their way out of the diner quietly shoulders brushing Castiel's wings grazing along Dean's arm. Castiel caresses his wings along the side of Dean's face eliciting a shiver from Dean and a chuckle from Castiel.

Castiel takes advantage of Dean's momentary lack of focus and leans in and captures his lips in a quick press of lips. So quick that if it weren't for the tingling in his lips he might have believed he imagined it before Cas too disappears in a flutter of feathers.

Dean is glad his baby is waiting for him, as she always is. The drive home is silent and the evening to an outsider a boring night of bad TV, but inside Dean's mind is whirling. Faster and faster his mind spins the possibilities tripling and having babies and their ideas have babies until Dean has drunk enough he passes out on the couch.


	5. The Bond

Castiel leaves, Dean, and the diner, and flies directly into an all out battle, being waged between Angels, with a few other Supernatural creatures interspersed, depending on the local. Demons have been taking advantage of the strife, and some of the Holy sites have been desecrated in the melee, resulting in further losses to both sides.

Castiel is loathed to loose this particular site. Tonight's battleground is an important one, one of the first Holy grounds that Castiel had warded and brought over to their cause.

The war is a war of territory: who ever controls the most controls Heaven. Each side has amassed an army of Angels and has positioned them amongst the sites, each side protecting each location.

The sight and sound of Angelic blades clashing together are deafening and each strike reverberates for miles. Their Angelic armour is awe inspiring, each are intricate and unique pieces of protective metal, which adorn the thousands of Angel's, in both their true forms and vessel's alike.

The smell of burnt feathers and flesh permeate the air along with the tang of metallic blood and their cloying embers immediately raise up to coat Castiel's nose and throat. Castiel moves the sensation to the back of his mind and focuses on the battlefield, to where his aid will help their cause the most. After a few moments of deliberation he finds it: the lynch pin that will turn the tide of this particular battle in their favour.

Raphael's second in command is dead center and completely focused on attacking. And so Castiel is able to easily alight within the high-ranking Angel's guard, and make the fatal strike before anyone even realizes Castiel is present.

It feels as if the entire battlefield takes a collective breath as the Angel's grace explodes; in an awesome display of power, light, and wrath. Castiel's vessel is buffeted, but he maintains his position with seeming ease. As he thought the battle is over within minutes of Camael's death. The victory is bittersweet for Castiel and his troops, as each Angel feels the loss of Camael strongly in their grace; such is the curse of a civil war.

The fact that each Angel is connected through their grace; emotionally, physically, spiritually makes civil war all the more devastating: win or loose. The despair and sadness are overwhelming; there is no celebrating of victories in this war. Only the heavy sense of duty that weighs on Castiel's grace so laboriously that his wings droop visibly.

Looking over the battlefield Castiel's senses trace over the vessels of the fallen; their wings splayed out in ash, in vast charcoal caricatures of life. This plane and the Earthly plane shift and merge revealing the angelic devastation. Each side is responsible for their dead and all are returned to the earth.

Following the victory his Angel's disperse and Castiel flies in the only direction his grace wants to be, straight to Dean. Castiel refrains from waking his mate, he simply ensures his sleep is a peaceful one, and uses the quiet time to contemplate his next steps. They are in need of a base of operations that isn't as well known, nor as easily found as Bobby's salvage yard. Which while on the outskirts of South Dakota, is far too well known in Supernatural circles.

Castiel casts-out his senses, searching for property unclaimed, and unreachable by human means. With the perfect property found, Castiel bends and kisses his hunters forehead, blessing his dreams, and takes flight to begin his preparations.

Castiel alights in the middle of the Western Canadian wilderness, where large swaths of the Country remain unpopulated and untamed to this day. Castiel uses his heightened Archangel senses to conduct a sweep of the land around him, and finds that no Human has ventured within 200 miles in the past hundred years.

The first thing Castiel attends to is wards, he wards the property carefully, such that it won't attract attention to itself, being unpopulated it should continue to appear as such. The wards are subtle, in they don't hinder trespass, but shield, any sign of life from unwanted senses. Any number of creatures could venture onto this land and never see, nor hear anything but vast Canadian wilderness.

Then Castiel creates dwellings, one for each of the three hunters he holds dear to his heart. These dwellings are strung from the trees and consist of wooden spheres connected with ropes, pulleys, and bridges throughout the tree bows. In the center he builds a communal area, where meals and research could be conducted. The trees here are large, and so the spheres are large enough within that even his wings aren't impeded when relaxed.

Within each sphere of residence Castiel adds touches that he hopes will please each individual as best as he is able. He is able to personalize his and Dean's too much greater detail, knowing his hunter as well as he does. Their sphere is dominated by a large soft bed filled with eiderdown and a large walk in shower with multiple rain shower nozzles. The bed doubles as a couch for viewing the TV with its padded leather frame.

The only thing left to work out was, Baby… Castiel knows that Dean would want her close at hand, however there are no roads in the vicinity. As a contingency plan he builds a lean-to and affixes special mirrors to the sides for camouflage. And inside he includes all the essentials for automotive upkeep that Dean would need for Baby.

Each building has multiple exits and access points, several dumbwaiter style pulley systems are installed throughout, making the system of tree houses accessible and efficient.

* * *

><p>Dean wakes from a fitful slumber, to the sounds and smells of Bobby making breakfast. The last vestiges of his dream fall away too quickly for Dean to grasp on to. This morning is slightly brighter for the hunter than the last, having worked his issues out with his Angel the night before. However the peace of their morning routine is shattered by an early morning phone call. Bobby answers the call while Dean hurries to complete his morning ablutions.<p>

By the time Dean is clambering down the stairs and into the kitchen, Bobby is depositing the receiver back into it's cradle and turning back to the breakfast, which may have gotten a little blacker than it needed to during the phone call.

"What's up?" Dean asks, sneaking a piece of slightly burnt bacon off of the top of the pile.

"That was your brother, he's gotten wind of a hunt and wants, backup." Bobby relays the gist of the conversation while simultaneously slapping at Deans wandering hands and shooing him towards the table. They sit down to eat in relative silence once again. When Dean is mostly finished with his breakfast he finally asks, "Any details?"

"Said something about six month old infants going missing, the parents being slaughtered." Bobby says not pulling any punches. Dean reels at the possibilities.

"Did he say when they are coming by? What's the plan, man?" Dean says in a failed attempt to lighten the mood a little.

"No, but he did say to tell you to get ready to go." Bobby says and would have elaborated with circumspect anecdotal advice if Gabriel and Sam hadn't appeared at the kitchen table with them mid sentence.

"Dean-O, Bobster! What's shak-a-laking?" Gabriel calls out cheerfully and unnaturally loud for first thing in the morning.

"Hey guys!" Sam says a little more sedately, even if it's still tinged with the same joie de vivre as his mates greeting.

"Morning ya Idjits!" Bobby greets back, while Dean gives a wary nod and finishes his coffee in one gulp.

"So you guys ready to head out?" Dean says in lieu of a greeting, his coffee cup empty and his plate scraped clean.

"Sure dude, you want the details now, or when we get there?" Sam says taken aback at his brother's shortness.

"Well if I know you, and I do, you've probably got some extra thick case file-folder all colour coded and indexed. So why don't you just hand it over and lets get a move on." Dean says, his hand out expectantly causing Sam to blush. Meanwhile Gabriel narrows his eyes and Bobby rolls his at the boys' passive aggressive behaviour toward one another.

Sam dutifully whips out his case file and hands it over. Dean scoffs at his nerdy brother while he speed-reads his way through the very well organized and thoroughly researched case file. Bobby takes his turn while Dean rummages through his baby's trunk for things he might need, still unsure as to their mode of travel. Meanwhile Bobby has been caught up to speed and the others are itching to take off.

"Dean, you ready to go?" Sam calls, head sticking out the porch door, he's held open.

"Yeah, sure dude just saying goodbye. Be in, in just a minute." Dean yells back not even looking towards the house, and Sam ducks back inside to give Dean a few minutes to himself.

Dean pats Impala's trunk affectionately, "sitting another one out, huh? Seems like Sam plans to sideline you permanently, doesn't it, Baby?" Dean mutters to Baby and heads back inside, his usual weapons strapped to his person easily concealed by his clothes.

* * *

><p>The foursome alights in an alley, just around the corner from the police station, in a small town a few states over. The disappearances seem to be centered here, and two sets of parents are already in the morgue. They split up; Dean and Bobby going to talk to the police, and Sam and Gabriel hop into Sam's Charger to visit the crime scenes. A foursome of FBI agents on one case is a little overkill, but with two missing babies, the local Leo's are quick to work with them.<p>

When they meet back up at the local diner. Dean has both elbows on the table protecting his slice of apple pie. They find out there are more than just the four of them working this case. When four more hunters enter the diner also gussied up in black suits and ties. Dean almost chokes on his pie; when he looks up to see his grandfather Samuel, waltz into the diner, with three hunters at his back.

The reunion is full of testosterone, and more than a few hurt feelings. Samuel claims he isn't sure why he suddenly found himself on Earth, after spending the last twenty years in Heaven with his wife. He also claims to have no knowledge of the being that is responsible, nor their reasons for raising him. The public nature of the meeting is the only thing preventing the Winchesters from demanding a battery of tests to prove he is who he says he is.

Of course Gabriel is able to give them more than a modicum of relief, when he assures them that Samuel is the Human he claims to be: their Grandfather. That settled, they come to a sort of truce and agree to work together on the case. The Cambell base of operations being nearby means they can use it for further meetings.

Sam and Dean pull stakeout duty, for the only child who fits the pattern: same security company, is six months old, and lives within the geographic area. The house is quiet, too quiet and they end up silently letting themselves in after only watching for a few hours to find blood everywhere. The mother didn't make it and the shifter is able to escape the house. As they are clearing the house they find the baby stuffed under an end table with a tablecloth barely concealing him.

Sam and Dean bundle the baby into the car, having found a few odds and ends easily in the attached garage and mud room, a quick thank you to organized parents, and they speed off to the rendezvous point of the Cambell compound. Halfway there they realize they need to stop for essentials they didn't grab, like diapers when it's evident that the baby might need a new one, and stat.

* * *

><p>The all night Walmart they pull into is blessedly quiet, and the brothers have a surreal shopping experience, while simultaneously attempting to keep the baby from going nuclear on them whilst unprepared.<p>

"Alright. I'm pretty sure there's some sort of paste, or jelly you put on the butt." Dean says, harried, while franticly looking along the baby shelves.

"Like that?" Sam says, showing Dean a small jar of Boudreaux's Butt Paste.

"Yeah, that, grab that!" Dean responds absentmindedly, already pulling more items into their cart.

"So… how do you know all this?" Sam asks, as he attempts to keep the baby occupied.

"Uh, Lisa's got a baby niece, so I've been on a few milk runs." Dean admits while his mind veers off on tangents from the night before.

"Huh." Sam says, lost in thought.

"Shut it." Dean tells him.

"I just said huh." Sam says defensively.

"I just said shut it." Dean says, as he's still pulling stuff off of shelves, when the baby starts to fuss.

"Okay we gotta get moving, we got water works in like T minus ten." Dean says, and they start rushing around like chickens with their heads cut off. They finish grabbing stuff and the baby continues to cry while the blond checkout girl goes as fast as she can.

While the Walmart customers stare, Dean takes the baby out of his seat thinking he might need a diaper change. Dean is holding him at arms length, tilting him like he's looking for poop running down his legs, when an old black lady comes up to them.

"Awe, what's the matter?" She says then continues to ask. "What's his name?"

"Bobby" Dean says at the same time Sam says, "John." so Dean says "Bobby John" of course.

"Hi there, Bobby John!" The creepy lady says. "Aren't you handsome, may I?" She asks Dean who looks skeptical but hands him over, and he quiets almost immediately. "I see now, Bobby Johns a little wet. No offence, but you two look exhausted. I don't mind, Lord knows I've changed a million diapers." She says and seems to be offering to help them out, meanwhile Deans chuckling awkwardly and humming and hawing. Until he looks over at the cameras and sees that the eyes reveal her to be a shifter.

"That a really nice offer, but I think we've got it." Dean says sternly, motioning for her to pass the baby back.

"Oh it's nothing, happy to help." She says sweetly still bouncing the baby gently on her hip.

"Give me the baby before I stab you in the neck." Dean threatens seriously at normal voice level.

"Dean!" Sam admonishes and Dean simply points his thumb towards his back where the camera is. Sam's face changes and the lady takes off and they of course give chase. The shifters skin coming off when they try and grab her.

* * *

><p>Eventually Sam gets the baby into the car meanwhile Dean almost gets nabbed, for stabbing the old lady, by the Walmart manager. Their tires chirp as they squeal out of the parking lot, their items forgotten in their haste. At a loss for where to go they head straight for the Cambell compound once again. They stop along the way to fuel up and grab the absolute essentials and continue to make the drive to the Cambell's.<p>

Both brothers can't help but think about what if's, as they go through the motions of keeping the baby content during the drive. Dean takes lead sitting in the backseat, since he has more practical experience than Sam. Sam looks back into the mirror every so often, and his mind wanders to impossibilities.

With thoughts of their Angel mates on their minds they decide to stop just outside of the town that the Cambells have resided in since the American Civil War.

"Hey Cas, can you meet us here? If you're not too busy?" Dean prays, while Sam taps into his bond with Gabriel and relays what's happened since they parted ways. Both Angels alight wings fluttering and wrapping around their mates in greeting.

"Dean, Sam." Castiel says.

"Sammykins, Dean-O. What's with the shifter baby?" Gabriel asks.

"Well that makes so much sense." Sam replies, as they all peer at the baby intently.

"What does?" Castiel questions, his eyebrow raised.

"That the shifter was trying to take the baby, that the shifter found us so easily…" Dean explains, as the baby starts to cry again feeling the tension acutely.

"It's the crying." Sam blurts out jumping into action to pacify the infant.

Dean's phone starts ringing startling the foursome, making the baby cry even louder.

"What?" Dean barks into the phone.

"Dean? It's Samuel, Mark just talked to the father of the most recent kidnap vic, and he says he's not the father." Samuel relays.

"Uh yeah, we figured that out already." Dean says wiping a hand over his face in frustration.

"You really should bring the baby to the compound Dean, we're set up for something like this." Samuel says and Dean agrees with a monosyllabic grunt and snaps his phone shut, stuffing it into his pocket.

"Something's not right." Dean says, and reaches for the baby who instantly quiets in his arms. "Come on Sam, we should head out." Dean says, and cradling his burden tightly to his chest starts towards Baby resigned and downtrodden.

"Dean." Castiel says pleadingly and Dean turns abruptly his eyes dark with anger. Castiel can feel how emotionally attached his mate already is to this baby.

"No, Cas." Dean forces himself to say and the brothers get into the car and drive off. Dean can't help himself; it's just an innocent baby.

Gabriel sends Sam as much reassurance as he's able, as they drive off. Sam sends back his thanks, but feels as remorseful as his brother does over what he expects to be a hunt gone terribly wrong by this time tomorrow.

* * *

><p>They drive up to the compound and are admitted through the gate, after careful scrutiny by the armed sentries. Upon entering the compound the situation gets bleaker and clearer to the brothers. Both regret leaving their mates out of this confrontation especially when the Alpha Shifter arrives taking first Samuel's, and then Dean's form seamlessly, while easily evading all their weapons.<p>

Dean holds tight to the baby fruitlessly, held aloft by a much stronger foe, just as the lights go out there is a sudden blast of light and exploding wrath that rockets through the compound singeing everything in it's path.

* * *

><p>Gabriel spirits Sam off, to their pocket of time and space, both reeling with the result of Castiel's wrath. The Alpha and baby along with half the compound had gone up in smoke. Mark didn't survive the Alpha attack, and their relationship with the eldest Cambell was over.<p>

* * *

><p>Castiel waits patiently at his hunter's bedside, while he tosses and turns, genuinely afraid to wake him. Castiel multi-tasks with his battle plans, shifting his army from afar.<p>

When Dean comes to, he's in his bed back at Bobby's and at the sight of his empty arms, Dean hugs himself tighter and rolls over pushing his face into his lifeless pillow with all of his strength.

"Dean…" Castiel says, and sits gingerly upon the bed; he starts to reach out a hand towards Dean's shoulder, but pulls back sharply when Dean rolls over quickly, eyes enraged.

"How could you?" Dean cries out voice strangled.

"I am sorry. Dean. I lost control, you were in danger and my Grace reacted to the threat." Castiel says, eyes pleading for his mate to understand.

"A baby is not a threat Cas." Dean sobs, and Castiel recoils as if slapped.

"I am terribly sorry, Dean, I didn't intend to kill the child." Castiel replies mournfully.

"I just, I just can't Cas. I need to be alone." Dean replies and turns and lays with his back to his mate, new tears streaming down his cheeks.

Castiel stands stock still for a moment, before fleeing to his peak of solitude in the Himalayas once more. He thought that his use for this mountaintop might be behind him after Dean had groomed his wings, but alas his mate is more complicated than that. Castiel is starting to wonder if this too shall pass, or if this is merely the beginning of the end.

Castiel thinks of the secret compound he built in the wilderness for them, and is bitter that he hadn't yet revealed that to his mate. He wants Dean to be safe, and Bobby's place really isn't anymore.

* * *

><p>Gabriel can sense that Castiel is once again emotionally compromised.<p>

"Sammy, I gotta go, Cassie is all a flutter again." Gabriel tells his mate, who hasn't said much since they returned to their own safe haven.

"Dean's gonna take this hard Gabe. He really, doesn't do well when kids are involved." Sam warns his mate.

* * *

><p>By the time Gabriel shows up Castiel has pulled his emotional socks up, and is thinking up ways to get his hunter to move to the compound.<p>

"Cas, what did that dolt do now?" Gabriel starts testily, before shoving a cherry tootsie pop into his mouth. Castiel hardly reacts to his brother's comment, although the barb does rub him the wrong way.

"It was my error, this time, Gabriel." Castiel says evenly, eyes locked on the horizon.

Gabriel sucks in a breath and blows it out slowly. "Sam said Dean-O would take the kids death pretty hard." Gabriel says and notes Castiel's wince at the mention of the shifter baby.

"I was just - so scared - Gabriel." Castiel mutters and his shoulder start to shake. Gabriel closes the distance between them by pulling Castiel into his vessel using his wings.

"I know Cassie, I know." Gabriel comforts.

"I didn't even get to show him the compound yet." Castiel cries between sobs.

"Compound?" Gabriel asks interest peaked.

"Bobby's place is too well known, and Dean misses Sam." Castiel says his sobs quieting, now that his thoughts were being redirected.

"Show me." Gabriel commands, and they fly off together with a thought. Gabriel has decided that this sounds like the perfect thing to get everyone's mind off of the recent losses.

They wonder around the compound slash tree house Castiel has built and Gabriel can't help but add his own touches here and there. Upon seeing his and Sammy's little sphere he gives Castiel a wink and proceeds to add his own brand of spice to the place. The finishing touch is of course folding time and space to incorporate his current pocket away from things, where Sam is currently lazing in front of the fire, reading a book of all things.

"Sammykins!" Gabriel cries out upon finishing up the last touches, making Sam jump a foot and spill his hot cocoa all over himself. For which he receives a patented Sam bitch face number 23 for.

"Oh my God, Gabe you almost gave me a heart attack! And ouch that hurts." Sam cries out while jumping up and shaking his burnt hand before turning on his heel and heading for the sink, to hold his hand under cold water for a minute or two.

"Sorry Sammykins, but I have a surprise for you!" Gabriel coos, as he uses his grace to make the spilt cocoa and burn go away in an instant. Sam is not immune to his tricks and melts easily, quickly forgetting the incident and allowing himself to be pulled towards the door (not that he could stop Gabriel if he tried).

Sam gasps, as the door opens upon the Canadian wilderness instead of the streetscape he was expecting.

"What's going on Gabe?" Sam asks, bewildered his head whipping about taking in the pulleys, ladders and the other structures attached to their own amongst the trees.

"Castiel feels that Bobby's place is too well known and found somewhere a little more secluded for our hideaway from home. This place is all his idea, though I did add a few touches here and there of my own." Gabriel says, a fond look on his face as he speaks of his fledgling's accomplishments to his mate.

"This is SO great Cas!" Sam cries out enthusiastically, finally noticing the Angel, since Castiel's blue and green tinged black wings blend so well into the forest.

"Thank you Sam." Castiel replies, a violent blush exploding on his cheeks at the praise.

"So where's Dean?" Sam asks, looking around for his brother. Castiel instantly looks away his wings slumping in defeat.

"Dean's still really upset with Castiel, and so he and Bobby are still in Sioux Falls." Gabriel replies for Castiel.

"Well let's go get him then!" Sam cries out excitedly. "Man, Cas this place is great, there's a river close by too isn't there?" Sam continues babbling while beaming at Castiel.

"Yes, just through that thicket over there, the river is quite deep and slow for the next couple of miles." Castiel says distracted again by his new project.

* * *

><p>Sam and Gabriel enter Bobby's third of the compound together. Leaving Castiel to finish up any last minute touches, before the last of their group arrives. Gabriel easily ads a pocket worm hole from this room into the study in Sioux Falls. Where they find Bobby pouring himself a generous snifter of Hunters Helper, while pouring over anything he has on Alphas, in his vast library on the Supernatural.<p>

"Bobster!" Gabriel cries out in greeting. Bobby had luckily just replaced the bottle onto the desk, so it didn't spill in Bobby's startle at the intrusion; he was slowly getting used to.

"Gabriel!" Bobby groused his heart needing a minute to restart at the sudden materialization of Sam and Gabriel. "Where did you idjit's come from?" Bobby asks while running his hand through his hair, wondering when he became fairly used to people popping into his home unannounced.

"That's the surprise we came to show you guys!" Sam says excitedly. "Where's Dean? I wanna get back to Cas right away."

"He's still upstairs, hasn't so much as made a peep since he got back." Bobby relays quietly his voice layered with concern.

"Well we have something that ought to take his mind off of all of that." Sam says and bounds off towards his brothers room.

"What's up with Sam?" Bobby asks not sure if he'll even get a straight answer from the trickster.

"He's happy." Gabriel says simply, a smile on his face as he basks in just how happy his mate really is.

* * *

><p>Sam throws open the door and peers into the dark room searching out Dean. A pang of guilt runs through him, at the sight of his brothers balled up form. Sam slowly enters the room and Dean begins to stir at his presence.<p>

"Dean…" Sam starts to say.

"Sammy" Dean says, his voice horse.

"We have a surprise for you." Sam says gently.

"I'm not really in the mood, Sammy." Dean replies.

"Do we need to talk about this, Dean?" Sam threatens.

"I'm up." Dean cries and leaps to his feet while Sam chuckles to himself at how easy it is to manipulate his older brother.

"So what's up Sammy?" Dean asks, arms overhead stretching out his sore back.

"You're never gonna believe this, until you see it with your own eyes, Dean!" Sam says excitedly and starts back towards the others with Dean hot on his heels.

"Just give me a sec Sammy." Dean says and stops off to clean himself up a bit, since it seems like it might be a while until he gets another moment to himself. Dean stares at his reflection in the mirror and tries to push down the feelings of guilt and inadequacy that the shifter hunt stirred up within him. Short self pep talk over with, Dean descends the stairs at a slower pace than Sam can stand in his excitement

"Hurry up, Dean" Sam cries out, practically rattling apart while he jumps up and down a little. Gabriel smiles fondly at his mate's antics, secretly just as excited to show the two hunters Castiel's creation.

"All right, all right, hold your horses Samantha!" Dean chuckles his mood picking up, in light of his brothers obvious glee.

"Now that you're all here, without further adieux…" Gabriel says with a circus big man announcer type voice, complete with a deep bow, and sweeping arm gesture towards, well the wall.

"You got to be kidding me! You got me down here, all excited over, The Wall in Bobby's study?" Dean says disbelief colouring his irritation at Gabriel's antics.

"It's not the wall Dean it's what's on the other side of the wall." Sam says and starts towards the wall. Dean takes in a huge breath, as he watches his brother pass through the wall and with a look to the others, he shrugs his shoulders and barges in after Sam. As Dean approaches the wall, he thinks to himself, 'Gabriel will probably let me smack right into the wall, just for a laugh.'

Bobby follows after a bit of prodding from Gabriel, and finds that the other side offers a clear view of from whence they came. The dichotomy is mind boggling, and Bobby isn't sure what to make of it. Meanwhile Sam is dragging Dean out the front door, or at least he thought it was his front door, apparently that, now leads to less cars and more trees.

"Gabriel what have you done to my home?" Bobby grouses sternly.

"Not my doing Bobby, I merely created the secret access two and fro. This side is all Castiel's creation." Gabriel replies proudly. Bobby makes a note of the fatherly pride he detects in Gabriel's tone, and follows the Archangel both lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile Castiel paces back and forth, until he's worn a path in the dirt floor of the forest, waiting for the others to return. He has never felt this nervous before, in all his millennia of existence.<p>

* * *

><p>Dean exits the house and is awed at the sight before him, he glances back into the house and sees what he usually sees: Bobby's house. However the outside is another story all together. Dean slowly takes everything in; the pulleys, the sheer height of the globe like structures suspended in the massive trees. And finally his gaze lands on his mate who stands off to the side near the lean-to built into the base of the compounds structures. Dean makes his way down to Castiel using one of the quick draw dumbwaiters to descend quickly.<p>

"Cas…" Dean says sheepishly.

"Dean." Castiel replies simultaneously hope tingeing his voice.

"It's beautiful!" Dean says truthfully.

"Thank you." Castiel replies, blushing. "Would you like to see the rest of it?" Castiel offers, his hand outstretched.

"I would love to." Dean replies and accepts the proffered hand. Together they walk the perimeter, while Castiel explains the location, wards, and the reasons behind his undertaking.

"This is unbelievable Cas!" Dean tells his mate, his wonder and awe clear in his voice.

"Would you like to see Baby?" Castiel offers, having gotten from Gabriel's odd gestures that Baby had also been relocated when the hunters stepped through the fold.

"You remembered Baby?" Dean asks incredulous.

"Oh course, I know you would never leave her behind." Castiel tells Dean bluntly as he leads him towards the lean-to.

Dean gasps again at the sight of the personalized space just for his Baby. Dean can plainly see every tool he might need and all neatly arranged: it's a dream come true.

"Oh, Cas, you shouldn't have." Dean says, emotions choking his voice.

"But I wanted to, Dean. I wanted to do something for you, something to thank you for all that you have done, and all you have suffered through." Castiel tells him, as he pulls his mate into an embrace with his wings. They stay wrapped in one another until Gabriel interrupts them.

"Are you two finished being all emo?" Gabriel asks while Sam lurks just behind his Archangel. Both Dean and Castiel peak out from under Castiel's wings their cheeks dusky with embarrassment. "So did Cas tell you about the exit strategy for Baby?" Gabriel asks, as a smile stretches over his face at the sight of his fledgling Castiel all grown up with his mate. Dean turns to Castiel eyebrows raised, eyes alight waiting to hear more about Baby's garage.

"It is true, the other side of this garage contains a special portal. Spelled so that Baby can be driven out and arrive undetected onto any interstate the driver focuses on. And of course to return, simply drive her into the corresponding garage at Singer Salvage." Castiel tells Dean while Gabriel, Sam and Bobby listen and watch Dean's expression go from intrigued, to happy, to awe.

"With that said, I say we check out the rest of our new compound." Gabriel says merrily.

"I agree." Sam says excitement and happiness contorting his features into a not often seen wide smile. They split up and explore the compound focusing on their individual spaces first, and then congregating in the common spaces.

Castiel brings Dean to their dwelling the fastest way he knows how - they fly. Eager to show him the interior they alight just inside the door. The first thing Dean notices is that the structure seems larger inside that it appeared from the ground. Castiel's wings are able to fully stretch out with out impediment.

The interior is sparse but warm and inviting, simply furnished and split into zones. The room is dominated by a large leather surrounded platform bed, which is a combination of a couch and a bed. Dean can't resist climbing onto it, to test it out and discovers a large screen has been mounted to the ceiling/wall at the perfect TV viewing angle and that the entire room is visible from where he lays.

"Oh man this is perfect, Cas!" Dean exclaims, as Castiel joins his mate on their bed. The bed of course is designed to accommodate his massive wings and is therefore somewhat nest like.

"I am glad that you approve, Dean." Castiel replies, snuggling up to his hunter, their bodies flush.

They relax for a few moments before Dean realizes he hasn't seen the rest of their space and with an apologetic glance at his mate, disentangles himself to go check out the facilities. Castiel has outdone himself yet again and the whole area is a rain shower type steam shower all done in glass and stainless steel. With a large deep Japanese style soaking tub is set off to the side near a window, which overlooks the stream near their compound.

"Oh my God Cas this is amazing!" Dean cries out, and rushes out of the bathroom and into Castiel's arms once more. Castiel is overjoyed at his mate's reaction, his wings puff up and wrap around his mate. The bond is alive and buzzes with feelings of happiness, joy, completeness, and possibilities.

* * *

><p>It's not long until the others make themselves known and Castiel and Dean join their family in the common areas of the compound. Castiel has created: kitchen, dining, library, study, lounge areas all with convenient back doors and wormholes to other places with similar uses. The fridge has access to Bobby's fridge in Sioux Falls, and the library is of course magically linked to any and all archives of Supernatural reference they might need.<p>

The area is both indoors and outdoors and connects the three separate personal spheres making it the hub of the compound. Dean, Sam, and Bobby explore the space like children on Christmas morning, while Castiel and Gabriel look on with indulgent smiles.

* * *

><p>Balthazar calls out to his brothers and both Castiel and Gabriel make their excuses and promise to return, as soon as they are finished. The three hunters are relaxing and exploring their new digs, when Dean's phone begins playing Smoke on the Water. Dean's expression turns stony the minute he hears who's on the other end.<p>

"Ben?" Dean answers.

"There's men in the house." Ben says franticly.


	6. Ben

Chapter 6: Ben…

Back on Main Street, Ben is lying on his bed reading Cthulu Tales and listening to *Loudest Alarm* by *Scars On 45* on his iPod. Downstairs, Matt sits on the couch watching baseball. Lisa brings him a drink and sits down next to him.

(BASEBALL COMMENTATOR: And he's four for his last seven against with uh, two extra base hits... He dives back in…)

Matt groans and Lisa laughs. Suddenly a demon breaks the door down. Lisa gasps.

"No!" Lisa cries.

Upstairs, Ben hears a noise and takes out his earphones.

The demon grabs Lisa. She screams and struggles.

"Just let her go, okay? Just -" Matt pleads.

"No!" Lisa cries.

A second demon comes up behind Matt and snaps his neck, killing him instantly, while Ben watches from the top of the stairs. When Lisa sees him and the demons follow her gaze; Ben runs into his room, closes the door and puts a chair under the handle.

"No!" Lisa screams.

Ben grabs his phone and calls Dean, who is hanging out in the compound library with Bobby and Sam. Dean's phone begins playing *Smoke on the Water* and his expression turns stony the minute he hears who's on the other end.

"Ben?" Dean answers.

"There's men in the house." Ben says franticly.

"What?" Dean replies.

"They killed Matt. They got Mom. They're coming, I hear them." Ben says, his voice a frantic whisper.

"What are they?" Dean asks tersely.

"I - I don't know." Ben replies shakily.

"Did you see their eyes?" Dean asks.

"No." Ben answers.

"Teeth?" Dean interrogates.

"No." Ben states.

"This is important Ben, I need to know." Dean says channeling John Winchester in his fear.

"Dean, I don't know." Ben states.

"Okay, where are you now?" Dean asks again.

"In my room." Ben answers.

"Can you get to your mom's closet? I left a shotgun in there." Dean suggests, as worst case scenarios flash through his mind.

"No. Dean, what do I do?" Ben pleads.

"Okay, Ben, listen to me. Go to your window and jump." Dean tells him resigned and serious.

"What?!" Ben blurts.

"Any bones you break won't compare to what they're gonna do to you, Ben. You've got to jump." Dean tells him.

"Okay, I'm going." Ben says bravely. Ben pushes some things off his desk. He climbs up and opens the window.

"I'm coming right now." Dean says into the phone, as he gets up.

The demons kick Ben's door open. Ben looks back in horror.

"I'm coming to get you and your mom, I promise. You with me, Ben? Ben? (There's no answer.) Ben?" Dean says looking at his phone in horror.

In Ben's room, Crowley picks up Ben's phone from the floor. While Dean again looks at his phone's display.

"Hello, Dean." Crowley says, Hearing Crowley, Dean quickly puts his phone back to his ear. "Fancy a chat?" Crowley continues.

Upon hearing Crowley's voice, Dean leaps off the couch and starts towards Baby, Sam right on his heels. Leaving Bobby yelling after them about not rushing in like idjit's without doing their research like some sort of Rambos.

"If you harm, even ONE hair on either of their heads, Crowley!" Dean threatens into the phone.

"You'll what, Squirrel, sic Moose on me? Crowley taunts quite sure of his upper hand.

"I'm sure our very own and Sherman can use their "WAYBAC" machine and fix you good, Crowley." Dean taunts, hoping Sam will catch on to his reference and call in the calvary.

"Does that make me Fearless Leader? Yes I like that." Crowley monologues like a true TV villain. He may as well be twirling his handlebar moustache while monologuing his evil plans.

"Fat chance Demon, we have our own Fearless Leader on Team Free Will." Dean retorts.

By this point the brothers have already driven out of the garage and are barreling down the closest interstate to Lisa's house. Unbeknownst to Crowley who is still caught up in the Rocky and Bullwinkle references and threats.

They are two minutes out when Gabriel flutters into the back seat and Dean snaps the phone shut.

"Get us to Lisa's stat!" Dean cries out. Gabriel flies them in and they alight in the home of Dean's former family to find Dean's replacement dead, along with Lisa. The only non-possessed souls Gabriel can find are curiously... Winchesters.

"Well if it isn't the lethal plaid and denim duo and their… Epp... Archangel Mate?" Crowley snarks at first, but he quickly realizes just how badly he's stepped in it, and flees along with his goons who smoke out flashily, covering their "Fearless Leaders" exit. Dean grabs up Ben in a tight hug and starts checking him for injuries.

"Dean, Dean-O, he's fine." Gabriel finally says, after he gets over his shock. Gabriel uses hand signals and their bond to ask Sam if he knew. Of course everyone seems to be in the dark.

"Alright, okay. I suppose we should be getting home. No doubt someone's already called the cops, with all this, going on in here." Sam says his hand on the back of his neck.

"Can't, just, leave, mom." Ben pleads his voice stilted by his grief choked sobs.

"This is going to be pretty hard to explain to the cops, Ben. Especially us being here. If we stay then you'll have to call the cops yourself. Your cover story is: they didn't know you were here, and after they killed Matt and Lisa they just left. You're still a minor so you'll get put with CPS until they can track down your next of kin." Dean tells Ben as calmly as he's able.

"But I wanna stay with you." Ben pleads with puppy eyes that rival Sammy's to Dean's recollection.

"Then you have five minutes to grab everything you absolutely need and get it into a bag. We can come back for the rest later, when the cops have cleared out." Dean tells Ben, who after a moment of hesitation, nods sombrely and heads upstairs. The Winchesters and Gabriel are left to listen to the sounds of drawers and closets being riffled amongst their own thoughts.

Ben clatters down the stairs less than three minutes later, bag in hand.

"Ready." Ben says looking towards the door, very clearly avoiding looking into the living room where the bodies lay.

"Cheer up kid, and welcome to Team Free Will." Gabriel says and hands Ben a lollipop, before 'Angel Airing' them all back into the Impala, which conveniently has been pointed back the way they came, and moments later Gabriel has them driving into the garage at the compound. "Thank you for flying Air Angel, please tip your stewards as you exit the vehicle." Gabriel jokes as they clamber out of Baby.

"Ben, in case I forgot to introduce you in all the craziness this is your Uncle Gabriel, and yes, that Gabriel. And of course you remember your Uncle Sammy?" Dean makes the necessary introductions as they exit the garage. However, upon exiting the garage Ben is too surprised to respond, at the sight of the tree house compound. Ben is surprised that it's so cold here; snow still on the ground, he reasons that they must be much further North than his home town.

"Pretty sweet digs huh, Ben? Castiel, he's the man to thank for all of this." Dean tells Ben, pride clear in his voice. Castiel hearing his hunter thoughts through their bond, alights among the newly returned hunters.

"Dean." Castiel starts, but cuts off when he sees Ben Bradaen and simply stares at the boy with his head tiled to the side.

"Cas, I'm glad you're back, this here is Ben." Dean says with fatherly pride, hands on Ben's shoulders.

"I'm aware, why is he here?" Castiel asks bluntly, his head again titled to the side.

"Crowley." Dean replies, and when Castiel looks like he's gearing up to say something.

Gabriel interrupts, "Cassie, can I speak to you for a moment?", and both Angels disappear.

"You'll get used to that kiddo." Dean tells Ben, when the boy takes in a startled gasp at the sudden departure of both Gabriel and Castiel.

"But, but…" Ben stutters, waving his arms about, as he spins in circles looking for the vanished Angels.

"Yeah, I know kid, they do that a lot, trust me. It's worse when they show up unannounced, and scare the crap out of you." Dean continues to explain, while chuckling under his breath. They make their way up to the main compound areas, where they assume Bobby might still be.

"Where are we?" Ben asks, still looking around in wonder, noticing something new everywhere he looks.

"Frankly I have no idea. Cas built this place off the grid, as a precaution against… Well, what happened to your mom and Matt." Dean explains, voice softening as he explains.

"So, we're safe here?" Ben asks voice small.

"Yes, son, you're safe here with us." Dean reassures Ben as best as he's able to.

"That statement is more true than you realize, Dean-o." Gabriel says having alighted silently, within the public space of the compound.

"What are you on about now Feathers?" Bobby grouses from his seat. Where he's been, obsessively pouring over what looks to be an incredibly rare scroll of parchment, since the brothers left him behind.

"Congratulations! You're a father." Gabriel blurts out bluntly, just as Castiel alights directly behind Dean.

"What are you talking about Gabriel. Make sense, damn you." Dean splutters, clearly at the end of his rope.

"Dean, relax it's good news." Castiel says, wrapping his wings around his hunter, unavoidably enveloping Ben along with Dean.

"Cas?" Dean asks, turning around to face his Angel.

"Ben is your son, Dean. Lisa lied." Castiel tells Dean never breaking eye contact. Dean's knees threaten to buckle and Castiel has to transport him to the nearest chair.

"You're my dad?" Ben asks unsure.

"Come-here kiddo." Dean says, shaking off his shock at the warble in Ben's voice. "Everything is gonna be okay, alright." Dean starts, arms raised in Ben's direction, only to be rebuffed by Ben starting to pace and rant.

"All this time, I was so sure you were my Dad. Why wouldn't mom just tell us?" Ben says, his voice raising with each word until he's shouting his face red with anger.

"Ben, son, she did it to protect you. It's not very safe to be a Winchester, or even to just know a Winchester." Dean tells him the bald honest truth, eyes cast low in shame.

"Our dad, he kept us in motels growing up, never staying anywhere for more than a few months, usually it was just a few weeks." Sam interjects when Dean comes up blank a moment too long.

"It's not as bad as all that son, don't let these two worry you. When was the last time you ate anything, son? You must be starving, I'm sure we've got something around here you might like. What do you say?" Bobby scolds and soothes at the same time. Ben looks to Dean questioningly, who nods.

"Go with your Grampa Bobby, Ben. We'll be right here." Dean says reassuringly.

"Grampa?!" Bobby crows.

"Well if I'm the kids father then, hell yes you're Grampa Bobby." Dean replies, standing to make his point all the more clear.

"Well, then, if you put it that way. Welcome to the family kid. Now lets go get something to eat." Bobby replies cheeks flaring pink, while he readjusts his ball-cap, and herds the kid towards the kitchen.

"Cas? You okay with all this?" Dean asks Castiel quietly once Ben and Bobby have left the room.

"Of course Dean. I'm just sorry I couldn't tell you sooner. Gabriel pointed out my oversight. I suppose I must have been preoccupied with Sam and the Cage, and then with Raphael." Castiel explains ashamed at having let down his hunter, yet again. Castiel's shame floods their bond, and Dean pushes it back with his understanding and love.

"I'm not upset about all that, Cas. I'm sure you would have told me had you known." Dean replies. "So, you're really okay with Ben? I mean this is going to change a few things, now that his mom's gone and Crowley's after him." Dean continues, sending insecurity and hope through their bond.

"It is simple enough for us to make room for him here, with us. And we are perfectly safe from Crowley, here within this compound." Castiel tells Dean, his confidence beaming through strongly.

"Done." Gabriel adds intrusively reminding the couple that they in-fact have an audience to this personal conversation.

"Gabriel!" Sam cries and swats at his mate for his insensitive behaviour.

"What!" Gabriel retorts, and pops another lollipop into his smirking mouth. Both Castiel and Dean take Gabriel's intrusion in stride having expected it on some level. Eventually Bobby and Ben reemerge from the kitchen with a whole platter of sandwiches, bags of chips and pops. Ben hands out the pops and chips and Bobby sets the sandwiches down on the nearest table.

"Well it's not gonna eat itself." Bobby grouses and everyone except Castiel goes through the motions. After ensuring Ben and Sammy have taken their fill, Dean hives off enough for two and settles back in his seat and motions for Castiel to join him. Dean gives his Angel half of his booty and waits expectantly until Castiel concedes and takes his first bite. Satisfied, Dean inhales his portion with gusto, eventually finishing the rest of Castiel's as well.

Ben of course isn't blind and notices the way his father interacts with Castiel. They aren't as blatant as Uncle Sam and Gabriel who occasionally share bites of their lunches oblivious to their audience. But it's obvious to him that they are involved as well.

"So what's the deal here, anyways?" Ben asks gesturing about randomly, as soon as he is finished with his meal. Ben's question pulls the others out of their private little bubbles.

"What exactly are you wondering about kiddo?" Dean says, clearing his throat, and straightening his back while subtly shifting towards Ben, away from Castiel; clearly on edge.

"What are you two?" Ben asks point blank indicating the Angels.

"Archangels of the Lord, at your service." Gabriel says leaping up for a comedic sweeping bow, before falling back into Sam's side a smug smirk on his face.

With an air of put upon aggravation Castiel continues. "He speaks the truth, we are Archangels of the Lord." Castiel's wings stretch out in pride at the sentence and the lights flicker briefly in response to his Grace.

"Whoa!" Ben exclaims unconsciously shuffling back in his seat, his skin crawling, as the hairs on the back of his neck stands up.

"There is no need to be frightened of us, Ben." Castiel placates, as he settles his wings back into their place next to his hunter.

"Cas! Urg you're almost as bad, as chuckles over there… Ben the long and short of it, is; Angels are real, so are Demon's, Heaven, Hell, and the whole shebang. In fact, pretty much everything you've ever heard of, that most everyone thinks is a legend or myth, is true." Dean explains more fully.

"Ben at this point all you need to know is that they can basically do anything: fly or teleport, telekinesis, telepathy, dream walk, alter matter, manipulate reality. And those are just the extra special ones. They are of course super strong, can heal, don't need to sleep or eat, plus a bunch of other ones too. Basically they are pretty bad ass. Plus chuckles here is with your Uncle Sam, and the holy tax accountant in a trench coat is with your dad." Bobby explains, listing off the pertinent details of life with Angels, well these two angels.

"Bobby!" Dean cries out.

"Well, it's true isn't it?" Bobby asks, hands spread while Dean splutters indignantly.

"You think, maybe Dean wanted to ease him into all this, Bobby." Sam explains on his brothers behalf.

"There's no reason for the boy to be kept in the dark. He's old enough to know what he's getting into by joining this family." Bobby replies and stands to clear the dishes into the kitchen without waiting for Dean to get his mouth to work again.

While everyone can hear him muttering about idjits this and idjits that from the kitchen. Ben decides to get his own answers from his father.

"Relax Dean. It isn't like I didn't figure it out on my own. I'm actually glad to know for sure instead of having to guess or ask you about it directly." Ben says further jamming up Dean's thought processes. "Is he always like this?" Ben asks Castiel with a small smile.

"Unfortunately." Castiel replies with an indulgent twitch of his vessel's lips, his wings however wrap tightly around his mate. Castiel sends soothing emotions through their bond. "Dean we should show Ben our quarters here." Castiel suggests quietly, calmly.

Dean shakes himself and stands with his Bondmate. "Good idea, Cas. Ben come on this is only part of the compound. It's setup as the public areas for all of us: kitchen, dining, and living, plus a library for our research and stuff. You already saw my Baby's garage, but each of us has our own place here too." Dean explains as the threesome depart and head towards Dean and Cas's private sphere suspended high in the tree boughs. They make their way there slowly, the human way, to allow Ben to adjust to his surroundings.

Castiel brings up the rear and lets Dean show his son their new home. Upon entering their home, Dean notices a door that wasn't there the last time Castiel and he explored. After allowing Ben to gaze about the vast room, Dean directs him towards the new door. The door leads to a room that resembles the room he left back on Main Street enough that Ben's eyes tear up.

"If it's not to your liking, I can easily alter the space." Castiel attempts at the sight of Ben's tears.

"No. It's not that." Ben cries. "Well maybe a little, it just reminds me of mom." Ben explains, as he slumps down onto his bed.

"Oh." Castiel says, his wings slumping in discouragement.

"Ben, I know it's going to be tough without your mom." Dean says, sitting next to his son on the bed. "But eventually the grief will fade. But I want you to know that your memories of her won't, you're old enough now that you'll always be able to remember her." Dean reassures him, and Castiel wraps his wings around his mate and by extension Ben when he hears Dean's train of thought go to his own mother.

Dean and Castiel's bond flares and the next stage emerges laying their thoughts bare to their bondmate. Without realizing, they telepathically conclude that they should alter Ben's room to be less similar to his old room. Castiel concentrates his Grace and lets it flow into the room, altering it before his families eyes. The shape of the room, alters to be more spherical like their own and the windows into large portholes instead of traditional house windows. The interior walls become frosted glass revealing the ensuite and exposing the closet and storage.

"Oh wow, Castiel. This is so great." Ben exclaims upon noticing the changes, the only unchanged item being the bed.

"I am glad that you approve, Ben." Castiel replies, their bond surging with approval and love.

"We'll leave you to yourself for a bit, Ben. We're just through that door, and your Uncles and Bobby are around too." Dean reassures his son as he and Castiel take their leave and retreat into their own rooms.

"He's a good kid, but loosing his mom like that is gonna make things difficult for a bit." Dean warns Castiel.

"I understand Dean." Castiel assures his hunter.

"I'm not sure you do, Cas." Dean retorts mildly concerned that the Angel is incapable of understanding human emotions.

"That isn't the case Dean, I am quite capable of understanding human emotions." Castiel repeats Dean's thoughts word for word, his own tinged with hurt at the insinuation.

'I'm sorry Cas…' Dean thinks through the bond.

"It's alright Dean, I understand." Castiel replies, not noticing that Dean hadn't spoken aloud.

'Cas I didn't say anything, aloud.' Dean again thinks to his bondmate.

'Oh. I have been expecting this.' Castiel replies, the bond swelling with pride and giddiness, his lips curving into a genuine and gummy smile.

"You have, have you?" Dean says his eyes rolling at his bondmate's reaction.

"Yes, this is the next stage of our Bond forming." Castiel replies, wrapping his wings around his bondmate and flying them to their nest.

'So what are these stages again?' Dean thinks.

'First you could hear Angel wings and sense our arrivals and exits. Then you could see my wings, and then the wings of other angels. Thirdly the emotional bidirectional link, followed by this mental one.' Castiel explains telepathically, as they lay limbs intwined in one another, eyes locked.

'What's next?' Dean asks, running his hands over Castiel's fight feathers, causing Castiel's eyes to roll up in pleasure.

'Next, we shall be one.' Castiel thinks cryptically, and after a moment Dean rolls on top of his Angel.

'And so we shall, we shall.' Dean thinks as he captures Castiel's lips in a hungry kiss.

'Not that I oppose. However I'm not sure if this is what I meant.' Castiel can't help but think back, even as he responds enthusiastically to Dean's advances, deepening the kiss, hands and wings tightening their holds.

"What? What do you mean, Cas?" Dean asks aloud, huffing his annoyance at being distracted, as they reposition themselves in their nest.

"Angelic bonds with Humans are so rare; that there is little known about them other than vague lore and conjecture, at this point. Gabriel has been researching, however the knowledge is lost even to him." Castiel admits with a sigh, the moment gone.

'Oh' Dean thinks, hands idly stroking Castiel's wings, as if with a mind of their own.

'Mmmmm' Castiel purrs, and shifts more of his wing into his Bondmate's grasp.

"You're like a cat getting it's belly rubbed while basking in a sunbeam." Dean says, his affection and humour clear through their bond.

'Less talking, more grooming.' Castiel requests, as he lifts his primary set of wings revealing the sensitive downy underside of his wings to his bondmate. Dean takes full advantage, hands burying into the soft feathers, grasping, questing, stroking. Castiel's cry is layered in his true voice when Dean finds what he's searching for; Castiel's leaking oil glands.

Ecstasy and lust pingpong back and forth through the bond. Both sets of hips stutter and thrust against one another, as Dean gently prods the walnut sized glads, encouraging the viscus fluid to flow.

"Do you want me to stop?" Dean asks, eyes crinkling and twinkling with mirth and love.

"Never," Cas admits softly leaning into his bondmate's touch. "I never want you to stop touching me. I don't know how I lived for so long doing this by myself. You spoil me." Castiel replies a blush staining his cheeks.

'Cas. Oh my God!' Dean thinks hazily as they devolve into tongues and teeth, fingers and wings. With their bond it's no wonder that it's only moments before they both cum screaming the others name. Grace and Soul both exploding and intertwining and finally resettling back into their proper places, as they both gasp for air that only one of them genuinely needs.

It's a good thing that their rooms are of course sound proofed.

Elsewhere Sam and Gabriel are in their own personal areas as are Bobby and Ben. Bobby can't quite wrap his head around the worm hole that connects his old salvage yard with this compound. He spends most of his time alone passing back and forth, and testing to see what the limitations are.

Meanwhile Ben explores his new room, happy with the changes in the structure, but also glad for the similarities and the identical contents. Ben can't quite figure out how that was achieved, but decides he'll figure out how to ask that later on, maybe. It's been a long day and Ben quickly falls asleep feeling safer than he's felt in a very long time.

Sam and Gabriel's personal area has elements of traditional and the fanciful and altogether doesn't quite look quite right. You need to tilt your head a little and un-focus your eyes a bit before the rooms will coalesce in the minds eye. Sam is also grooming his bondmate Gabriel's wings while discussing the stages of Angel and Human bonds.

Time flies and soon Ben is adjusted to life after Lisa enough that they start to think about sending him back to school. Dean and Sam argue heatedly on the subject, but it's Castiel who comes up with the perfect solution. Ben will attend a boarding school and a wormhole from bed to bed will be established, and the whole campus will be heavily warded.

It takes a few weeks for the newly formed family of six to decide on a boarding school. They finally settle on St Michaels in Victoria, Canada. Ben insists on co-ed while Sam argues vehemently for academic rigger. Dean simply wants Ben as close as physically possible.

* * *

><p>Labour Day looms along with cooler temperatures and a crispness in the air that heralds an end to the humid mugginess of Summer. Ben is both excited and nervous about starting school. The last two weeks of Summer have been spent putting together the items on the list the school sent in his acceptance package. Both Castiel and Dean have been spending one on one time with Ben helping him gather his required items.<p>

As the weekend comes to a close they all pile into the Impala and load a semi serviceable truck of Bobby's with Ben's gear. Both vehicles alight on the highway into Victoria and they continue convoy style to the back of the school as directed. Ben has been assigned to Harvey House and they have a parking lot directly behind the house.

The Campus is alive with students, parents, and faculty dashing to and fro like ants preparing for a storm. The St Michael's House parents and Head of House's are organized and the Prefects are expecting the Winchesters along with the other new and returning boarders. The House is actually two boy's houses split down the middle and stands three stories high nestled amongst the trees in the shade of Mount Tolmie.

Ben is one of the first to arrive and thus gets his pick of the two beds in the double room. Castiel and Dean help Ben move everything from the truck into the room, while the others fan out over the campus to ward and investigate. Castiel is quick to establish the wormhole between Ben's new boarding room bed in Harvey House to his own back at the treehouse compound. It's a special access that requires a password to prevent accidental activation.

Ben tests it out while his father and Castiel putter around his new room awkwardly, having finished warding the room from floor to ceiling. Castiel used his Grace to carve the underside of the floor, walls and ceiling with sigils and blessings. While Dean adorned the room with benign looking but powerful totems and relics.

If Ben lays on his bed and says or thinks "I wish I we're home" the wormhole is activated and seamlessly Ben is laying in both Bed's at the same time and can choose which room to occupy. Satisfied the threesome decide to explore the campus and meet up with the others.

Harvey House is situated on the Northeast corner of the lush green and brick campus. Ivy crawls up the sides of the impressive five story main school house which houses the administration, library and Brown Hall, which for Dean is the most important place on Campus. Walking from the boarding houses through the Quad everyone is struck with the feeling that the decision for Ben to attend St. Michaels is the correct one.

The others aren't hard to find in Brown Hall scoping out the kitchen, well Gabriel is setting up a dastardly prank for the kitchen staff, but the others are doing their best to blend in with the other parents. Sam and Bobby are focused on the administrators and the other parents and students.

Gabriel spends his time while the others are unpacking replacing all the pavers surrounding the school with salt and goofer dust imbued ones with sigils on the undersides. All the fences are now silver and every doorway have sigils carved into the interior of the framing. A cross and prayer are placed and said over the main water source for the whole school and the perimeter have hex bags buried every few feet warding against every known fugly.

It doesn't take too long before everyone is sufficiently assured that the campus is as safe as can be expected. Ben trails behind the adults as they prepare to leave him alone for the first time since his mother died. He considers changing his mind several times, but decides to tough it out and bravely hugs his family goodbye and watches as the Impala rumbles out of sight.


End file.
